


one-shot compilation

by oikawa2ru



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Meet-Cute, Post-Break Up, Smut, Songfic, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 29,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26832415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oikawa2ru/pseuds/oikawa2ru
Summary: One-shots of some Haikyuu!! boys, all from my deviantart. The chapter titles will indicate if it's angst, smut, or fluff.
Relationships: Haiba Lev/Reader, Hinata Shouyou/Reader, Iwaizumi Hajime/Reader, Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Sawamura Daichi/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/Reader, Yamaguchi Tadashi/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 100





	1. (light fluff) boxer briefs [oikawa tooru]

**Author's Note:**

> hey. i wrote these like... over five years ago so if you read these and genuinely like them... thank you. i've grown so much as a person i just look at these and think... why? but also i was more literate five years ago LMAO anyway i hope you enjoy all of these!! i won't be giving any of these sequels btw, simply because i CANNOT for the life of me remember my train of thought while i was writing these. thank you (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Oikawa looked around your room while waiting for you to finish showering. He noticed that your wall was decorated with Polaroid pictures of you with your friends and family (but he felt a burst of pride since majority of the pictures included him). He saw your desk–neat as always–and a few of your notebooks sitting atop it.  
  
Oikawa looked around your room while waiting for you to finish showering. He noticed that your wall was decorated with Polaroid pictures of you with your friends and family (but he felt a burst of pride since majority of the pictures included him). He saw your desk–neat as always–and a few of your notebooks sitting atop it.  
  
He sighed as he plopped down on your bed. He took in the familiar scent of you on your pillows and your comforter. How long does it take the average teenage girl to shower?

Rolling onto his stomach, Oikawa absentmindedly opened and closed your bedside drawer while lazily staring at what was directly in front of him. It was your closet, and unlike the rest of your room, it was a mess. The doors were ajar and there were some articles of clothing sprawled on the floor. One thing stood out to Oikawa, though.

He neared it and picked it up gingerly. Oikawa knew these very well.

__Boxer briefs._ _

He had never spent the night in your house. He had never left any piece of his clothing. So why did you own a pair of __men’s underwear__?

Much to his dismay, he saw about three more pairs of boxers in the pile on the floor. He couldn’t help but wonder, were you cheating on him?

He immediately grew angry. How dare you? How dare you lead him on and play him like a deck of cards? He swore he was a good boyfriend. Great, even. The idea of you in bed with someone other than him (not that you two had done the diddly yet) irked him to no limit. He promised that he would talk to you about this as soon as you came back from your shower.

As if on cue, you entered the room. Your (hair color) hair was damp and still dripping, and you were wearing a bathrobe to cover up. “Tooru,” you smiled sweetly. “I’ll just put on some clothes and we’ll go, alright?”

And just like that, Oikawa’s resolve crumbled instantaneously. He could confront you about it later, preferably not when you looked adorable and vulnerable and just __begging__ him to ravish you then and there. Nope.

“Hai,” he muttered. He then exited the room, still having incessant thoughts about you with another man.

You and your boyfriend walked through the park with your hands intertwined. You noticed he wasn’t very talkative. “Tooru, you’ve been unnaturally quiet today,” you pointed out. “Is something bothering you? Is everything okay?” You looked up at him with doe-like eyes.

Oikawa looked straight into your eyes. “(first name), I’m going to ask you a question. Please promise to answer honestly,” he told you.

You knit your eyebrows, perplexed. Usually he would have just asked you the question, but you nodded, nonetheless. It must have been a serious issue if he thought you wouldn’t answer truthfully without promising. “I promise.”

His eyes held possibly the saddest look you’ve ever seen, which made you wonder what caused him to get so upset. You silently hoped he wasn’t overworking himself at practice, since that was the most probable reason. He was naturally competitive, and he always drove himself to become better than he already was. The brunet took a deep breath then asked you, “(first name), are you cheating on me?”

You were taken aback. “No, Tooru! What in the world gave you that idea? You know I love you too much to even think of any other person as more than friends. I would never do that, I swear.” What made him think that you weren’t loyal to your relationship?

“Don’t lie to me, please. I found a pair of boxers in your room and I know for a fact I have never left any clothes at your house __and__ you don’t have a brother.”

Your mouth formed an ‘o’. You tried your best to suppress your laughter, but failed miserably. You were clutching your stomach, bent over slightly. “Y-you’re the only boy I’ve ever brought home, dumbass,” you said, slightly out of breath from the laughing fit.

Oikawa scowled. “Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny, you know.” You wiped tears of joy from your eyes and composed yourself before looking at your boyfriend. You cupped his cheek and gazed into his eyes. “I just think boxers are comfortable, is all. They’re very ideal for sleeping,” you told him.

The male immediately colored at your revelation. __You__ owned the boxers? “I-I thought you were…you know…doing things,” he stammered (a rare sight to see). You laughed and shook your head. You tiptoed and put your lips beside Oikawa’s ear. “If it makes you feel better, I only want to ‘do things’ with you,” you whispered in a sultry voice. Your boyfriend swallowed, backing away slightly. “(first name),” he groaned. “Not in public, please,” he pleaded. You giggled then pulled him to the nearest exit.

“Don’t waste time, Tooru- _ _kun__. My house is a five minute walk from here, but it’ll take three minutes if you go quickly. I’d like to __do things__ with you as soon as possible,” you said flirtatiously.


	2. (smut) i'm your number one all-time fan. [oikawa tooru]

__{she said, “picture this: you and i  
on a magic carpet ride  
covering your living room floor”}_ _

Your words caught Oikawa by surprise. Even you were surprised at yourself, but could anyone really blame you? Your boyfriend looked downright ravishing in a suit.

“Tooru,” you mewled. “I’m wearing the underwear you gave me for my birthday~” Your boyfriend refused to look at you, knowing that if he did, his resolve would crumble to pieces. He continued his conversation with the man whose name you never bothered to learn, the only sign he heard you being a light blush dusted across his face.

You repeated his name in a velvety tone that only existed in the bedroom. “(first name)…” Oikawa said with a raspy voice. Your lips ghosted his sweet spot below his ear, manicured hands slowly dancing up and down his arm. “Yes?” you asked, voice masked with innocence. “Not in here, please,” your boyfriend begged you.

Disregarding his pleas, your left hand rested on his leg, dangerously near his growing bulge. “But you just look so __enticing__ all dressed up, Tooru,” you whispered into his ear. His hand around his champagne glass visibly tensed. You moved your hand closer to his crotch, and he almost lost it. If he wasn’t a man who valued how he appeared to people, he would have ravaged you right then and there.

“Please excuse me,” he announced to the table. He stood up to go find the host of the dinner to tell him something had come up and he had to leave as soon as possible.

He returned in a matter of minutes, right hand subtly covering his lower region. “Let’s go, (first name).” You bowed good-bye to the people at your table then followed Oikawa to the exit.

The both of you rushed home, not wanting to waste any time. Oikawa finally managed to open the front door of your shared flat, and you both stumbled inside, leaving open-mouthed kisses on every inch of each other’s skin.

“I never knew you could be so needy, (first name)-chan,” Oikawa breathed in between kisses. “Shut up, Trashykawa,” you murmured against the nape of his neck. Your boyfriend chuckled, shrugging off his suit jacket. You started unbuttoning his dress shirt while he undid his tie, chucking both articles of clothing across the room. He reached behind you and unzipped your dress before trailing his lips along your jaw.

__{i said, “you unleash my episodes,  
crack my moral code.  
desperately delicious in your housewife glass life.”}_ _

You pushed him onto the leather sofa and straddled him. “Someone’s impatient.” Oikawa wiggled his eyebrows teasingly, but you put a halt to his suggestiveness by grinding your hips into his. “Fuck,” he hissed out. You repeated the action, eliciting low groans from your boyfriend. The added friction caused by his boxers and your lingerie was almost too much for the poor male. He moaned your name out, bucking his hips up.

Unable to wait any longer, you tugged his boxers off. Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief as he relieved of his cloth prison.

You gave him one long, slow stroke, and the brunet gasped. “(first name), stop teasing,” he begged. You spread his precum before licking one long stripe from the base to the tip. You took him into your mouth, bobbing your head up and down. Your tongue swirled around him as you continued sucking him off, one hand stroking what you couldn’t cover. He tangled his hand in your hair, making you adjust to his preferred speed. Oikawa’s chest started heaving; each time you reached his tip and came back down just as quickly left him breathless.

You could see his abdomen tightening, and you knew he was close. Not wanting to end the night before it had even begun, you ceased your actions, returning to your previous position. As you sat on Oikawa’s lower stomach, he could feel a damp spot on your underwear. “Is this for me, (first name)?” He brought stroked your crotch area, making you shudder. “Y-yes, Tooru,” you stammered. Your boyfriend smirked before bringing his hand up and unfastening your bra. “This may be a regular sight for me, but you seemingly get more and more flawless every time I see you vulnerable like this.”

He flipped you over so he was hovering over you. He lowered his head, peppering your collarbone with kisses. He sucked harshly at the base of your neck, and you were sure you would have to cover up with a scarf the next day.

He made his way down and stopped at your breasts. “So perfect,” he murmured before taking one in his hand. You moaned, arching your back in the process. He tweaked your nipple then placed his mouth over it, lightly nibbling at the hardened nub. “Tooru,” you gasped out. You were uncharacteristically exposed, and your boyfriend took full advantage of the situation.

After making sure you were flustered enough, he trailed kisses down your stomach, stopping at your hips where your lingerie rested. “This has to go,” he declared. He carefully pulled the tantalizing piece of clothing off your body, leaving you as naked as he was. His tongue traced your entrance, taking in bits of your arousal. Hasty as always, you pushed yourself onto him, craving __way__ more than he was giving you. Oikawa succumbed to your wishes, wanting to pleasure you as much as you did him.

His tongue darted in and out of you, and he occasionally nibbled at your clit. You wrapped your legs around his head, pulling him closer and letting his tongue go deeper inside of you. He curled his tongue and you shuddered. You let out a breathless moan and tangled your hands in his chocolate-colored locks, tugging him nearer to you. He sucked harshly, making you pull him against you even more.

He detached his mouth from you, licking his lips while looking up at you through hooded eyes that showed all telltale signs of lust and love. “You taste amazing as always,” he told you in a sultry voice. You flushed and covered your face with one hand. “Don’t say things like that!” you cried. He placed his lips on yours, and you let his tongue in on instinct. You explored each other’s mouths, and you moaned into the kiss when you felt his fingers ghosting over your entrance. He pushed two digits inside of you, curling them and making scissoring motions. He pumped them in and out as your kiss grew more and more heated. Not wanting to be the only one getting pleasured, your hand crept down his torso and gripped his member. You stroked him in short strokes, rivaling the speed at which he was fingering you.

“I can’t wait any longer,” he told you as he broke away from the kiss. He licked your arousal off his fingers before positioning his cock at your entrance. He ran it up and down your slit painfully slow, and you shut your eyes tightly. “Stop teasing and just fuck me, Tooru,” you demanded. The brunet smirked. “As you wish.”

Nothing could have prepared you for the moment he entered you. He had been inside you so many times, but it got better the more you two did it. You wrapped your arms around his neck, bringing his lips to yours once again. You sucked a spot at the base of his neck and he moaned loudly. He buried himself deep in you each time he went inside you, and all you could hear were moans, labored breathing, and the sound of skin on skin.

You nibbled harshly at Oikawa’s bottom lip, and he suddenly got rougher. He threw one leg over his shoulder, and at that angle, he went deeper than he had gone. He continually thrust in and out of you, his hands gripping your hips so hard you knew you would wake up to find them discolored and bruised.

He pushed himself into you hilt-deep, eliciting a high-pitched moan from you. He knew he had hit your sweet spot, so with every thrust, he touched the same area without fail. Both of your faces were red and you were both covered in a thin layer of sweat. Oikawa was close to finishing, and so were you.

Your boyfriend’s pace quickened. His thrusts became short and rapid, bringing you to the edge. You felt a knot in your stomach form, and your breaths became shorter. Oikawa brought one hand to your clit, drawing figure-eights and pinching it harshly. You cried out as you let waves of pleasure overcome your body, shortly followed by the brunet.

He allowed you to rest on top of him. Both of you were still trying to catch your breaths. “That was something else,” you murmured breathlessly. Oikawa hummed his assent. “Maybe you should talk dirty more, (first name)-chan~”

Your face visibly flushed and you hit your boyfriend in his chest. “That’s so embarrassing!” you cried out. Oikawa chuckled as you buried your face in your hands.

“I’m sure you’re not going to bed all sweaty and sticky, so how about taking a shower with me?”

__{in my good graces, you’re a bad influence  
keep me a heartbeat shy of an ambulance}_ _


	3. (light angst) classy (and trashy) [oikawa tooru]

model!au

"You know, I've heard the guy you're modeling with is quite the charmer." You rolled your eyes as you got zipped up. "He's a model, is he not? Charm is a given, Michiko." You strapped your heels on and stared at the full-size mirror. Disregarding your comment, your assistant continued. "He's also a member of the national team for volleyball. Impressive, if I do say so myself."

You turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Then I guess I must be the luckiest girl in Japan to have the _privilege_ to have him as my partner?" you said monotonously. Michiko gave you a knowing smile. "Let me guess, he's single? Michiko, I know you're one of my best friends, but you're also my assistant. Stop trying to set me up." She held her hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. But mind you, you have never looked at a boy since that guy in high school. What was his name again?" Your eyes widened and your face colored. He wasn't your first love, but he sure left the feeling that he was. "I forgot."

You entered the set, the clacking of your heels against the floor echoing throughout the room. The only people present were you, your assistant, the photographer, the maintenance personnel, and of course, the client, Oshiro Hibiki from Vogue Japan. "(last name)-san, it's a pleasure to be shooting you today! I'm Suzuki Kaito," the photographer chirped. He had dark hair accented with pink highlights and he was wearing a very loud graphic tee.

"(last name)-san, thank you for coming today. We're all very thankful you agreed to this shoot, knowing the fact that you're so high in demand." You turned and immediately bowed. "Oh, no, Oshiro-san, it was no problem. Shooting for this magazine has been my dream since I started modeling, and it's all thanks to you that it's becoming a reality." The middle-aged man smiled and nodded. "I'm glad to see you're so eager. We'll start when your partner gets out of wardrobe, alright?"

You sipped at the iced tea they had offered you. You internally fumed at your partner for being late. Modeling was a professional industry, and this shoot was for a high-end magazine. Was he really that full of himself?

"Oikawa-san, so nice to see you again!"

Your heart nearly stopped then and there. You only knew one Oikawa, and he was the boy that made you fall in love and never helped you out of it. You silently prayed to anyone who was listening to _please_ let your partner be another Oikawa. You trained your eyes on the drink in your hand, never looking away.

You heard the familiar laugh you tried so hard to get rid of, and you clenched your empty fist. You honestly disliked showing people they had affected you in any way, so you steeled your resolve and pushed away all emotions connected with Oikawa. You recited your own mantra: business, business, business.

Standing up and walking towards the pair of men, you bowed to the boy whom you thought would never come back into your life. "I look forward to shooting with you today, Oikawa-san," you said dryly. Oikawa looked at you and recognition washed over his face. "(first name)-chan! What a surprise seeing you here today. I didn't know you worked in this agency." You offered him a forced laugh. "Yeah, what a surprise," you mumbled. You made a mental reminder to always do a background check on your modeling partners before a shoot.

The client's face lit up with delight watching you two converse. "I take it, you two are already familiar with each other? This is perfect for the shoot today." Shifting your gaze from Oikawa to Oshiro, you immediately took on a business-like disposition. You obediently trained your gaze to the client. "Here's what I want you both to do: you just met, but you feel a lot of chemistry going on. Lots of cheeky banter and flirtatiousness. Make yourselves and the clothing look beautiful. Make me believe it."

So there you were, your hand wrapped around a shot of water-disguised-as-vodka and your chin being held in place by Oikawa's hand. You focused on his hair, his nose, anything that wasn't reminiscent of yours and his failed relationship. Or at least, in your opinion it was failed.

"(last name)-san, Oikawa-san, do you two need a break? I've gotten a lot of frames so far, but I don't think they'll work..." Releasing a breath you didn't know you were holding in, you immediately made your way to your assistant. She reprimanded you upon your arrival. "(first name), what's wrong with you?" You clamped your mouth shut and she glanced at Oikawa then at you. "He's the boy from high school, isn't he?" she asked in a calmer voice. You nodded.

You were angry at yourself for letting a stupid schoolgirl crush get in the way of your dream. So what if he had made your perspective on love do a complete 180 spin? Love had nothing to do with your job, and you'd like to keep it that way. You were so good at pretending, so why stop?

"Suzuki-san, I'm good to go," you announced to the photographer. Oikawa gave you a bright smile. "(first name)-chan, let's get a great photo, okay?" You hummed your approval.

And so the shoot resumed. Granted, it was still awkward, but you tried your hardest to make it work.

"(last name)-san, why don't you and Oikawa-san chat while shooting? It'll seem more natural," Suzuki said. You nodded hesitantly, not knowing exactly what to talk about.

"These poses are very textbook, right, (first name)-chan? I hope you don't mind if I hold the reigns for now," Oikawa breathed into your ear. He took one of your hands and placed it flat against his chest. His fingers toyed with the hem of your dress and he looked straight at you. Words of praise immediately came from both Suzuki and Oshiro. He smirked, carefully placing a stray lock of hair behind your ear. You were reminded of the countless times he had done this when you were still teenagers, and you immediately flushed.

"Why do you act so distant, (first name)-chan? I know the prompt was first meeting, but I didn't know you'd take it seriously. We used to be so close." You didn't want to break down in the middle of the shoot of your dreams, so you refrained from bitterly responding. "Ah, really? Sorry, this is just really important to me." To emphasize your point, you pulled at his dress shirt to bring him down to your height and gave him your best attempt at a flirty smile. Fortunately, the photographer and client seemed to like it. Your confidence soared, and you took control.

"I think we've got it! Good work, you guys." You bowed to Suzuki and Oshiro. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity." For the sake of business and respect, you even offered Oikawa a slight bow. "Thank you for being my partner for this photoshoot, Oikawa-san." The brunet beamed at you and shook his head. "You can still call me Tooru, you know? And I should be the one thanking you _._ Seeing you after all these years makes me realize what I've lost."

You scowled at his words. "Don't try to rekindle an extinguished flame, _Tooru_." You could sense the venom in your words. This was the result of years and years of bitterness. You then stomped - as much as one could stomp in heels - over to wardrobe.

You found Michiko already there, holding your clothes and makeup remover. You took the pins holding your hair in place out. The strands fell in tendrils gently framing your face, and you stared at your reflection. "You know he told me after seeing me he's realized what he's lost? If only he'd said that to me six years ago, then maybe I would have been more considerate," you spat out. You rubbed your face to get rid of the make-up. "I swear, who does he think he is? Does he think he can just _waltz_ into my life and go all 'hey, I miss you, let's get back together'? Is he _that_ full of himself?" You pulled your blouse over your head indignantly. "Boys are stupid," you concluded.

You turned to your best friend and you saw her smiling smugly. "And why exactly are you smiling? This is no laughing matter, Michiko!" You shouldered your bag and made your way to the exit.

Your hand had barely touched the doorknob when the door opened to reveal the very person you had just been venting about moments before. "Hi," he greeted. You groaned and rolled your eyes. Pushing past him, you made your way to the lobby of the building.

"(first name), wait! Don't act like that!"

You pressed the down button of the elevator and impatiently waited. Hopefully it would arrive before he would.

The satisfying ding indicated it had reached the floor. The doors opened and you sighed in relief at its emptiness. You pressed your finger to the button for closing the door, ready to finally relax.

Heavy footsteps entered the shaft and you frowned. Whoever had made this situation happen was, in your eyes, a sadist. Why would anyone make you suffer like this when you made it so clear you didn't want this to happen?

You made no move to acknowledge his presence, simply staying by the door and readying yourself to make a run for it. The elevator music filled the uneasy silence with uneasier tunes, but it was better than a conversation with your ex-boyfriend.

"Please, (first name). Give me a chance."

You made the mistake of turning around and looking into Oikawa's eyes. You drowned in the familiar homey feeling of his chocolate brown eyes staring at you. He took advantage of your moment of weakness and took your hands into his own, keeping a good grip in case you decided to run.

"I'm being honest, you know? Like they always say, you never realize what you have until it's gone. I'm sorry to say it applies to me."

You stayed silent, biting your tongue to keep you from retorting.

"I believe that you're the right person for me, (first name). It was just the wrong time."

You refrained from rolling your eyes and making a sarcastic remark. This boy was all talk.

"I'll prove it to you. What have you got to lose if you give me a chance?"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to reveal the posh lobby. You stepped out and turned to him. "I actually have a lot to lose. Make this chance count, alright? Ask the agency for my number."


	4. (light fluff) take it easy [oikawa tooru]

The rhythmic thumps of volleyballs hitting the ground filled the gymnasium. The lights overhead shone brightly, and the smell of sweat was something you had become accustomed to.   
  
Faint panting replaced the sharp sounds of skin on ball contact, and you knew Oikawa was overtaxing himself once again. You saw the brunet wipe beads of sweat away from his forehead, his t-shirt sticking to his skin. He hadn't taken notice of you.  
  
You watched as he gathered the stray volleyballs, putting them back into the cart. He stretched his arms and readied himself for another round of serving until the cart went dry. You knew he wouldn't stop unless you interceded.  
  
"Oikawa," you called out, voice loud and clear to make sure he could hear you. "Half an hour has passed since practice ended. You might as well cool down now." He turned his head to look at you, and you knew he was exhausted from the look on his face.  
  
He flashed you a smile - although it didn't reach his eyes - and he waved his hand. "Don't worry, (first name)-chan! I'm almost finished." You could tell he wasn't finished, but he was awfully stubborn. You leaned against the wall, dutifully noting how tired his body looked. His knees threatened to buckle with every step and his arms swung loosely by his sides.  
  
He picked a ball up and dribbled it. He took a deep breath, tossed it into the air and swung his arms. He jumped and hit it with a satisfying smack, sending it whizzing over the net. The only thing out of the ordinary was the dull thud - and it wasn't from the volleyball.  
  
Your gaze shifted to Oikawa, his face grimacing as he held his ankle. As you neared him, you could make out profanities spouting from his mouth. You bent down onto the floor to get a closer look.  
  
"I didn't land right. Twisted my ankle," Oikawa muttered. Your hands enclosed his, carefully prodding at the now swollen joint. He winced.  
  
"That's what you get for overworking yourself," you berated. The setter pouted, but didn't say anything in reply.   
  
You rose, holding your hand out to him. "Can you stand?" He took your hand and you pulled him up. He let go, and he would have fallen had you not been there to steady him. He shifted his weight onto his left, gingerly setting his right foot down.  
  
You sighed and shook your head. "You're lucky I chose to wait for you. Iwaizumi left a few minutes ago, telling me to make sure you wouldn't get hurt. I guess I didn't do my job right."   
  
Oikawa sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and offered a meek apology. "I didn't know I'd get injured," he defended.  
  
"Nobody expects injuries, Tooru."  
  
Your boyfriend blushed at the rare occurrence of your usage of his given name. "If you weren't so set on beating your kouhai from middle school, this wouldn't have happened," you continued. He huffed. "So mean, (first name)! I'm just a naturally competitive person."  
  
You suppressed an eye roll, instead opting to help Oikawa limp towards the equipment room.  
  
You retrieved a pair of crutches and handed them to the setter. He reluctantly released his arm around your shoulders. "I was hoping you would be my walking aid. Personally, I wouldn't mind that. You'd always be close to me and you'd take me places and you'd feed me my lunch-"  
  
You had to stop him there. "You didn't break your bones, you sprained your foot. No way am I going to feed you lunch."   
  
He sulked. "You're at least walking me home, right?" he asked hopefully. You walked out the gymnasium leaving the question unanswered and Oikawa struggling to keep up.  
  
You paused at the gate, and your boyfriend reached you. "(first name)," he drawled out. "Please walk me hooome. What if I get jumped by a band of gangsters? I'm completely helpless!"  
  
"Do you really think I can fend a group of thugs off?"  
  
"No, but it's reassuring to know you'll go down with me."  
  
"You're incorrigible, Tooru."  
  
He smiled innocently at you. "I'm serious though, please walk me home. Or stay the night. I wouldn't mind." You eyed him suspiciously. "I need you to take care of me, (first name)-chan!"  
  
"I'm not your personal nurse," you grumbled, but silently agreed. You two then made your way to his house.  
  
* * * * *  
  
You set Oikawa's bag and yours on the floor, rubbing your shoulders. Curse him for using his injury and your merciful nature to convince you to carry his bag.  
  
Oikawa dropped himself unceremoniously onto the couch, his crutches leaning on the arm. He flicked the TV on and settled on a movie. He held his arms out wide to you.  
  
You scowled but joined him on the couch. He wrapped his arms around your waist and tangled his legs in your own.  
  
"It's nice being the big spoon. I feel like I'm your protector or something."  
  
You raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You can't protect me for shit with that ankle of yours. The most you can do is hit someone with your crutches."  
  
He gasped dramatically. "You're so mean, (first name)-chan!"


	5. (light fluff) jetpack blues [oikawa tooru]

You glanced out the window, staring down at the asphalt of the runway. Bright lights illuminated the road, allowing you to see the faint green color of the grass, along with the fluorescent vests of the runway supervisors.  
  
You felt the seat beside you sink, indicating occupancy. You ignored the stranger's presence and continued staring blankly at the concrete path outside, eager for the plane's departure for home.  
  
A ding resounded through the cabin, and the airplane moved forward. The road became a blur of gray and then you felt the familiar weightless sensation.  
  
You could feel someone looking over your shoulder. You turned your head to see a boy around your age with floppy brown hair and equally brown eyes. He smiled at you.  
  
"The view looks lovely, even from my limited perspective," he said. His English was accented, and you couldn't help but wonder out loud, "Is English your native language?" He shook his head. "I'm Japanese."  
  
"So am I," you told him, switching from English to Japanese. "So why are you going to Tokyo? Was New York too flashy?"  
  
The brunet pursed his lips. "Visiting my old high school. See how they're doing."  
  
"What high school?"  
  
"Aoba Jousai High. It's in a pretty small prefecture, you probably wouldn't know about it."  
  
You laughed. "Seijou? Of course I know about it! My school was in the same prefecture!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah! I went to school in Shiratorizawa Academy."  
  
His lips formed a tight line. "Shiratorizawa. I remember disliking everyone in that school, solely because my team couldn't beat them."  
  
You didn't know how to reply, so you stayed silent.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Somewhere down the road you fell asleep. You opened your eye just a crack to look out the window.  
  
The sky was a blend of purple and orange. You knew it was dawn, which meant it would be eight hours until the plane would reach Tokyo.  
  
Your eyes resumed its closed position, and you subconsciously rested your head on the nearest comfortable surface, which just so happened to be the brunet's shoulder.  
  
* * * * *  
  
You yawned, feeling something push you away. "Hnng, I'm up," you announced almost inaudibly. The brunet beside you rolled his eyes. "As attractive as you are asleep, I cannot sacrifice your safety for my own selfish wishes. Fasten your seatbelt."  
  
You rubbed the sleep away from your eyes. "Is that it?" You buckled your seatbelt and leaned back. You turned your head to the window, and you were greeted by the modern bustle of Tokyo thousands of feet below you.  
  
The plane landed smoothly. The attendants led you towards the baggage pick-up.  
  
"Fancy seeing you here. Small world, isn't it?" You turned around to find the same brunet who so happened to be beside you the entire flight. "Small world, indeed. It is truly a surprise to see someone at the baggage pick-up area."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Where are you going after this?" he asked, completely disregarding your blatant sarcasm. "I'm going to my hotel to check in," you said, going on your tiptoes to find your luggage.  
  
The brunet picked up his luggage and set it down. "Which hotel are you staying in? I'm not going to Miyagi until next week."  
  
You eyed him hesitantly. "I'm not sure it's ethical of me to disclose information like that to someone I met on the plane."  
  
He smiled. "You're a clever one. Which one's your baggage? I'll help you with it."  
  
You pointed it out, and he carried it for you. "Where to?"  
  
"To the exit."  
  
"...right."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Waiting patiently for a vehicle, you leaned against a wall. "Hey," you called out. The brunet turned, his brown hair bouncing. "I don't know your name, and you don't know mine. Why do you act like you've known me since I was born?"  
  
"It's just part of my nature, I guess," he shrugged. "I'm Oikawa Tooru."  
  
"(last name) (first name). Pleasure to meet you."


	6. (light fluff) snapchat filters [oikawa tooru]

Your voice echoed through the hall. "Okay, so basically everything in your body is connected to your spinal column. If it ever gets damaged, you'll see the effects in your body, especially your legs," you lectured, drawing an arrow from a pre-drawn picture of a spine (you couldn't really draw to save your life) and connecting it to the legs. You heard the faint scratching of pencils on paper, smiling to yourself as you knew the students were taking notes behind you. Oh, the good life of being a teaching assistant. The professor had left you in charge, and you jumped at the opportunity to have authority.  
  
You felt your phone vibrate violently in your skirt pocket. You frowned. Taking your phone out and hiding it under your desk, you looked at the notification screen.  
  
snapchat from ♥︎ tooru ♥︎  
  
You rolled your eyes, glancing at your phone screen. Oikawa had set that as his nickname; no way would you name him something as mushy as _that_ when your friends so loved to borrow your phone and go through it. You set your phone on your desk and turned back to your class.  
  
"Done taking notes? Okay, moving on. Even _more_ important than the spinal column is the neck. Your neck is full of extremely sensi-"  
  
Your phone vibrated again, which made you look down at it.  
  
♥︎ tooru ♥︎ is typing...  
  
Shortly after the first vibration, it vibrated yet again.  
  
snapchat from ♥︎ tooru ♥︎  
  
You cleared your throat, tearing your eyes away from the tempting gadget. "Your neck is full of extremely sensitive nerves, and because of the lack of protection, your neck is-"  
  
_Vibrate._  
  
"-vulnerable to all kinds of elements. There are pressure points in the neck that, if-"  
  
_Vibrate._  
  
"-applied pressure to, will cause you to fall unconscious."  
  
Your voice had been rising a few decibels with every vibration. You pocketed your phone quickly, feeling the tickling sensation against your leg. You cast a glance at the wall clock, then at your watch.   
  
"Well, will you look at the time," you announced, inwardly sighing in relief. "Class tomorrow at ten o' clock a.m. Professor Takeda will have returned by then."  
  
The students started packing their bags. The hall eventually emptied, leaving you and a few lingering pupils. You shouldered your messenger bag and unlocked your phone. You swiped through screens and clicked your folder labeled 'Social Media'.  
  
There accompanying the Snapchat app was a bright red circle in the top right corner of the icon with the number ten in white.  
  
You almost dreaded viewing them.  
  
Against your better judgment, you opened the app and waited for all of them to load. You really didn't know what you were expecting.  
  
The first to show was Oikawa with dog ears and his tongue out, accompanied by his signature victory sign. You read the caption.  
  
now i see why you want a dog! im so cute~  
  
You scowled, but laughed anyway. You tapped the screen to move to the next photo.   
  
Oikawa put on a distressed face, but he was hardly recognizable with the drag queen make-up.  
  
(first name), you're not the only one that can do make-up ;--)  
  
Snorting, you tapped again.  
  
The third one was still Oikawa with make-up, but this time the eyeliner was dripping and the lipstick was smudged all around his lips.  
  
me whenever you're not with me </3  
  
The next one was the setter with a pink tropical flower in his hair, with his head in his hands.  
  
hawaii looks fun~ we should go there sometime. maybe for a honeymoon? ;--)  
  
You visibly blushed and shook your head. You walked to the library and sat at your usual place near the medical books section. Just in case of a video, you plugged your earphones in and continued with viewing Oikawa's Snapchats.  
  
You reopened the app and tapped your boyfriend's name.  
  
The picture was him trying to pull of a flirtatious expression with half-lidded eyes and puckered lips (you had to admit, he did it well) and cherry blossoms surrounding him.  
  
does this... distract you?  
  
You tapped, and the next picture drew a snort from you.  
  
Oikawa's face was wrinkly and sagging. There was a monacle held up to his left eye and he wore a disapproving look.  
  
will u still love me when im no longer young and beautiful  
  
You laughed as he quoted one of Lana del Rey's songs. You smiled and tapped your phone.  
  
Oikawa's eyes were large and his cheeks were tinted pink. His mouth was open and a rainbow was pouring out.  
  
u always say shit comes out of my mouth... guess what  
  
Rolling your eyes, you moved on to the next, which happened to be a video.  
  
"Iwa-chan, look!" you heard Oikawa speak. The ace turned to the camera, then the two best friends swapped faces. "Oh my, I'd rather die than have Iwa-chan's face!" Oikawa complained. Iwaizumi scowled. "What did you say, Trashykawa?! As if I'd want your face!" Their faces were completely different to what their bodies were doing due to the face swap. The Oikawa's face on Iwaizumi's body (which had an arm ready to punch Oikawa) looked utterly distressed, while Iwaizumi's face on your boyfriend's body looked ready to kill. "Iwa-chaaan! This video is for (first name)!" Iwaizumi's face visibly relaxed and his tight fist slackened slightly. "Hi, (last name). I hope you know your boyfriend is trash."  
  
"Iwa-chaaaa-"  
  
The video cut, and you couldn't help yourself. You laughed out loud, trying desperately to contain yourself since you were in the library. You managed to stay silent, but you were shaking hard from keeping it all in.  
  
After calming down, you swiped Oikawa's name to the right to open the chat.  
  
♥︎ tooru ♥︎  


> notice me senpai  
>  pls  
>  pls  
>  pls  
>  wait shit  
>  r u in class  
>  im sorry  
>  pls forgive me ; n ;  
>  (first naaame) dont be mad  
>  ily

You shook your head, typing out a reply.  
  
ME  


> you are so stupid i swear

  
You waited a while before adding something else.  
  
ME  


> but i love you for it. 

  
You opened the camera, swiping to the heart eyes filter. You stuck your tongue out and snapped a picture.  
  
me when i see you  
  
But of course, being you, you couldn't leave it at that. You weren't the sappy type. You swiped to the policeman filter, and putting on the best stern face you could muster, you took the picture.  
  
don't get used to it though. i'm not going to say that again.  
  
You were about to close the app, but you got another notification.   
  
♥︎ tooru ♥︎ sent you a chat!  
  
You clicked the banner, and your chat showed that Oikawa had read your chats and opened your snap.  
  
♥︎ tooru ♥︎  


> omg  
>  did u just  
>  im about to cry but iwa-chan's gonna punch me if i do  
>  but i'm so emotional  
>  u just said u loved me  
>  im just

  
ME  


> it's the truth, tooru  
>  ...don't think i'm going to say it all the time now  
>  i wanna keep it special

  
♥︎ tooru ♥︎

> of course my dear (first name)!!!  
>  ily <333

  
ME

> ok


	7. (angst) go ahead, rip my heart out [kageyama tobio]

__{go ahead, rip my heart out  
show me what love’s all about}_ _

Kageyama couldn’t help getting flustered whenever you were around. Your (hair color) hair framing your face perfectly, your lips always in a small pout, and the way your face was often dusted a light pink; he loved everything about you. He never meant to sputter and stammer when you two spoke, but you just made him feel something indescribable.

__Your hair fell in tendrils in front of your face as you looked down at Kageyama’s English worksheet. He observed you as you went over his homework, taking in little details that would usually go unseen. He noticed your eyelashes and how they lightly brushed your cheekbones every time you blinked. He noticed your pinkish-red lips, and how you stuck your tongue out to moisten them._ _

__You looked up at Kageyama, (eye color) eyes twinkling. “You got most of the questions correct, Tobio-kun. I’m proud of you.” You flashed the raven-headed boy a sincere smile which made his heart beat erratically. He stuttered out a gruff ‘thank you.’_ _

__“Is it really so hard for you to be nice? I know you’ve got it in you, Tobio-kun. Riiiight here.” You poked his chest where his heart was supposed to be, and Kageyama prayed to all gods of all religions that you wouldn’t feel his heart going a thousand beats per minute._ _

Heavens above, he loved it when you showed any signs of joy. He loved seeing you laugh – especially when you laughed so hard your eyes crinkled and your face turned red. He loved your laugh; it was incomparable to his favorite song.

__You looked up at the sky, tracing the clouds with your fingers. “Tobio-kun, look! That cloud looks like a horse!” Kageyama followed your gaze. He nodded, acknowledging that it (vaguely) looked like a horse. You rolled your eyes. “Don’t be so stuffy,” you huffed. “What do you see, then?”_ _

__Kageyama’s eyes drifted towards the sky. He looked at all the clouds then pointed at one. “That one looks like a volleyball.” You let a small laugh slip out. “It looks like everything round, Tobio-kun. You think about volleyball too much.”_ _

__It was silent for a moment then you turned to face him. “I like spending time with you, you know? It’s nice to be with you when you’re not tired from volleyball practice or stressed from school. Just like our middle school days.”_ _

Kageyama missed the times when __he__ was the cause of your smile. He missed the times when, despite his stoic demeanor and his short temper, you laughed with him (or at him. He didn’t really mind, as long as you were happy).

__The tall male stood in front of you, scowling as you were howling in laughter. “Y-y-you look s-so stupid!” you cried, clutching your stomach. He had entered the classroom covering his right eye with his hand. After convincing him to show you what was wrong, he put his hand down._ _

__The skin surrounding__ __his eye was an ugly mix of purple and green. You stayed silent for a while, wondering if you were supposed to worry or laugh. Knowing Kageyama wouldn’t mind, you opted for the latter.__

__“Shut up, it’s not funny.”_ _

__“Are you sure? Have you even seen yourself?”_ _

“Kageyama. Kageyama. Kageyama.”

The setter glared at Hinata. “What do you want?” he snarled. The redhead stuck his tongue out. “You’re torturing your drink,” he pointed out. Kageyama looked at his hand, seeing a crumpled milk carton. He clicked his tongue and threw it away.

“What were you thinking about, anyway? Were you thinking of the Grand King? Why do you hate him so much? I mean, yeah he’s __waaaay__ better than you are, but that just means you can improve more! He used to be your senpai, it’s only natural that he’s better!” Kageyama didn’t reply. Hinata followed the taller boy’s gaze and found two people holding hands.

“Oh.”

If only Kageyama had confessed to you. If only he could have thrown away his stupid pride, maybe he would have been the one to hold your hand. Maybe he’d have been the one to walk you home. Maybe he’d be the one you’d stay up late just to talk about nothing and everything.

He didn’t know how it was possible to break someone’s heart without knowing. He didn’t even know hearts were capable of breaking. Kageyama was a novice in the subject of love, but he knew enough to know when he had lost.

You broke his heart every time he saw you with your boyfriend, but you mended it piece by piece with every laugh, smile and twinkle in your eyes.

Maybe this time Kageyama was okay with coming in second. He was a sore loser, but his consolation was seeing you happy.

__{go ahead, rip my heart out  
if that’s what love’s all about}_ _


	8. (fluff) let's go to the zoo [kageyama tobio]

Kageyama was never good with kids (or people in general). Children were often afraid of him, and he didn’t really mind that. He thought they were too loud, too noisy, and too messy to be around.

So why was he at the zoo, holding a seven year old boy’s hand whilst looking at the tiger exhibit?

It was all your fault, really. He went over to your house because he wanted to spend alone time–emphasis on alone–with his __girlfriend__. Kageyama was not accustomed to sharing (he was an only child, after all) with other people, and he was naturally competitive. He knew that with your beauty and warm personality, he would have some competition.

He hadn’t expected his competition to be a toddler. As soon as you opened the front door and gave your boyfriend a peck on the lips, he could hear an exasperated groan from behind you. Kageyama raised an eyebrow as if to ask __who is that what is he doing here and why is he in your house and why does he sound like he hasn’t hit puberty yet__?

“Ne, (first name)-chan! When are we leaving for the zoo?”

You looked back at the source of the voice. “In a while, Hayato.” You smiled at your boyfriend. “That’s Hayato,” you explained. “Keiko asked me to look after her brother for the weekend. Isn’t he the cutest? He’s just seven and he already acts like his older sister!”

Kageyama looked over your shoulder to find a child sprawled out on the couch. How dare he, the setter thought. He was supposed to be the one on that couch, preferably cuddled up with you while watching your favorite anime reruns. He was supposed to be the one sitting comfortably, drinking your famous homemade hot chocolate.

Your voice snapped Kageyama out of his mental rant. “Tobio-kun, would you like to come with us?”

It was a no-brainer for the raven-headed boy. Animals disliked him, and the zoo had animals. Children disliked him, and you were being accompanied by a child. The only positive Kageyama could identify was that he would be with you.

“No.”

You laughed. “Don’t be silly, Tobio. Are you worried about being a bother? It’s no problem, right Hayato?”

The one named Hayato appeared behind you. He gave Kageyama a once-over–which the latter found __extremely__ obnoxious, who was he to judge his elders anyway?–and the child’s face showed nothing but indifference. “As long as we go to the zoo.”

“Of course we will.” You smiled sweetly at the boy and looked at your boyfriend. “See? He doesn’t mind.” The teen could swear he heard the child say that yes, he did mind, but he opted to ignore it. What a brat.

The moment they arrived in the zoo (you managed to convince your boyfriend to come), Hayato dragged you to the penguin exhibit, Kageyama following close behind. He glared at the boy who seemed to have your undivided attention. He would never admit he was jealous, though. He merely thought he deserved your attention more than some toddler did.

You three had gone through nearly half of the exhibits when Hayato announced that he was hungry. You immediately left to get some food, leaving the toddler in Kageyama’s care.

The moment you were out of sight, Hayato looked at Kageyama and scowled. “Are you (first name)-chan’s boyfriend?” he asked. The raven-headed boy nodded, looking very interested in the lion exhibit. He didn’t want anything to do with the child. “You’re tall. Like a giraffe.” Not expecting what the toddler had said, the setter choked on his own saliva. “A __giraffe__?” Kageyama asked incredulously. Hayato hummed.

“Can you give me a piggyback ride? I want to know how it feels to be a giraffe.” Kageyama was about to protest that no, he was not a giraffe and he would not give Hayato a piggyback ride, but he took one look at the boy and his resolve immediately crumbled. Sure, he wasn’t good with kids, but he still had a heart.

Kageyama knelt down while Hayato scrambled onto his back, excitedly gripping at the teen’s shoulders. The setter stood up and he noted that the toddler resembled Hinata spiking one of his tosses for the first time. “I’m bigger than the lions now!” the smaller boy cried out.

“You two are so cute.” Your boyfriend jumped at your voice before turning around to see you holding three sticks of cotton candy. “Cotton candy! Put me down, Kageyama-kun!” Hayato nearly jumped off of Kageyama’s back before rushing towards you. You gave him his favorite flavored one, and he ate it in silence.

You three resumed walking around the zoo. “Tobio,” you started. “I wasn’t lying a while ago. You and Hayato were too adorable. I even took a picture!” You showed your phone to your boyfriend, resulting in him refusing to make eye contact. “I didn’t want to do it…” he muttered. You laughed and shook your head. “You looked just like a father and his son, you know?” Kageyama visibly reddened. “I guess that’d make me the mother. I don’t mind, though.” The poor teen became so red you swore you could see steam come out of his ears. “I-I wouldn’t mind either,” he managed to stutter out.

“Look at the elephants!” Hayato exclaimed. You playfully winked at your boyfriend. “Our ‘son’ is calling us. We best make our way to him as soon as possible, eh?"


	9. (light angst) bad blood [tsukishima kei]

__{‘cause baby, now we got bad blood  
you know it used to be mad love}_ _

Tsukishima picked up his phone, answering the call. “Yamaguchi,” he acknowledged. “Tsukki, come to the café near the park! I’m working on a group project right now. After I finish we can go to my house and play video games.”

“No thanks,” the blond immediately said. “I’ll buy you a slice of cake,” Yamaguchi persuaded. Tsukishima immediately hung up the phone, not bothering to say a proper good-bye. He grabbed a jacket and left.

He entered the coffee shop, the bell chiming as the door opened. He spotted the freckly teen waving him over. “I didn’t think that would work,” Yamaguchi confessed. “I’m a man of my word, though. I’ll get your cake.” The shorter boy left for the counter, leaving Tsukishima with his group mates. He nodded at both of them then took the seat to the right of where Yamaguchi was.

“Isn’t this project supposed to be done by a group of four?” The tall blond asked one of Yamaguchi’s group members, Kurosawa Kenta. The boy nodded. “Our fourth member is in the restrooms right now,” another group member, Akiyama Rina, said. Yamaguchi returned to the table, setting the promised slice of strawberry shortcake in front of his best friend. He sat down and resumed working on his group project.

Tsukishima ate his cake peacefully until Akiyama looked up. “(last name)-chan! I didn’t know bathroom breaks were that long,” the girl said. The blond tensed. He vaguely remembered you being a part of Yamaguchi’s group. He cursed himself for not thinking of that before he came.

You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, flashing your group a smile. “I got another drink and it was taking a while.” To justify your reason, you raised the coffee in your hand. Kurosawa shook his head. “Typical,” he muttered.

You took your seat across Yamaguchi then resumed working on the project with your group. You refused to look Tsukishima’s way, avoiding looking in his general direction at all costs (which was difficult since he was sat beside Yamaguchi). The blond trained his eyes on his cake, not looking up unless he was spoken to.

Eventually, the group project finished. “I think we did a good job,” Kurosawa declared. The rest of the members chirped their agreement.

“Can I leave the cleaning up to you guys?” Akiyama nodded. “Of course, Yamaguchi! You did most of the work anyway.” The freckled boy thanked her and then stood up from his seat. “Let’s go, Tsukki!”

The blond stood up. “Good-bye, Akiyama, Kurosawa.” He paused before looking at you. “(last name).” You stiffened, but nodded in acknowledgment.

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walked in silence to the latter’s house. “Sorry, Tsukki. I thought you and (last name) were finally on speaking terms.” The blocker clicked his tongue. “It’s fine. I knew she was part of your group before coming, anyway.”

__You laughed heartily as you threw a snowball at your boyfriend. He brushed the snow off his shoulder. “You’re so stingy, Kei-kun! Have a snowball fight with me!” The blond readjusted his glasses, not moving from where he stood despite your constant pleading. You pulled at his arm, looking up at him with begging eyes. “Please?” Tsukishima scowled and turned away from your face. “No.”_ _

__You pouted. “Fine, I’ll just get someone else.” You made to walk away, only to be pulled back. “What was that, (first name)?” The blond smirked, looking down at you. You stuck your tongue out. “You don’t want to have fun, so I’ll find someone else to have a snowball fight with.” Tsukishima bent down, stopping only a few centimeters away from your lips. “I have my own definition of fun.”_ _

__He closed the distance between you two. You reciprocated the kiss, and just when you were getting into it, he pulled away. “Hey! I deserve more than that!” You cried indignantly._ _

After Yamaguchi and Tsukishima left, you and your fellow group members started cleaning up. You were honestly surprised that he had acknowledged you before leaving, but you were hurt that he had used your last name. Sure, you didn’t speak a word to him, but you weren’t expecting him to be so formal with you, especially after everything you two went through.

__You sniffled, pulling your blankets closer to your body. Your boyfriend clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You knew you were sick yesterday and you still went to school. You brought this upon yourself, you know,” he stated. You covered your mouth as you coughed. “I didn’t know it would become worse!” you defended. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I knew this would happen, and I honestly feel like shit, but at least I have a boyfriend who’s taking care of me!” Said boyfriend grumbled. “Just open your mouth and eat the soup.” You complied, and he brought the spoon to your mouth._ _

__You yawned, feeling a bit light-headed. “I’m sleepy, Kei,” you told your boyfriend. “Then sleep. You’ll feel better tomorrow.” You shifted, making space for him on your bed. “Stay with me.” He scowled. “I’m going to catch your cold, idiot.” You pouted. “Such a mean boyfriend,” you whined. Tsukishima rolled his eyes._ _

__“Just go to sleep.” He tucked you in, kissing your forehead._ _

Yamaguchi rubbed his eyes. Tsukishima had beaten him at Smash Brothers for the nth time. “Yamaguchi, I have to go,” the blond declared. “It’s going to be dark in a while.” The freckled teen nodded. “Okay,” he yawned out.

Tsukishima started the walk home. He walked through the park, stopping by the lake.

__“Kei, listen.” Your boyfriend took his headphones off and looked at you. “I’m just going to get straight to the point: I want to break up.”_ _

__Your words took him by surprise. Had he done something wrong? Without waiting for him to ask why, you told him your reason. “I just feel like we don’t spend a lot of time together anymore. I don’t think we’ll work out, Kei. I feel like we’re more of acquaintances than we are partners. I hope you understand.”_ _

__Tsukishima wished he didn’t understand. He wished he didn’t feel the same. He wanted to tell you that you mattered to him, and that he would make time for you. He wanted you to stay._ _

__But all he told you was his agreement. “Yeah, I guess we should break up.”_ _

You stopped by the park and saw a familiar figure standing by the lake. The headphones, glasses, and the seemingly permanent scowl confirmed that the figure was Tsukishima.

__You were hurt that he hadn’t promised to make time for you. You were hurt that he had agreed to break up. You would have left regardless of what he said, but the fact that he hadn’t even put up a fight had really done damage on you._ _

“Kei,” you called out softly. The blond turned around, and you swore you saw his eyes soften. “Hi,” you greeted shyly. “Hi,” he returned. Both of you stood in awkward silence, neither of you two saying what you really wanted to say.

“(first name).” You looked up at him, and suddenly your head clouded. You forgot all the negatives of your relationship with him, and all you wanted was for him to hold you in his arms once again. “Kei, listen. I miss you, and I know it’s pathetic of me since I’m the one who wanted to break up, but I now realize we broke up for the smallest of reasons. I don’t know. I just miss being with you.”

Tsukishima held your gaze. To your surprise, he took your hand in his. “I’ll have to say I miss you more than you did me, though.” You smiled, squeezing his hand. “Back to square one, then?” He nodded. “Let me walk you home.”

__{so take a look at what you’ve done  
‘cause baby, now we’ve got bad blood}_ _


	10. (light fluff) sprains: blessings (in disguise) [tsukishima kei]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reader-chan is a first year wing spiker for fukurodani girls

You winced as you took your shoe off, gingerly rubbing your swollen ankle. “(first name), are you okay? Do you need to go to the clinic?” Aiko, your team captain, asked worriedly. You waved your hand dismissively. “Aiko-san, don’t mind. It’s just a sprain.” You smiled at your teammates as you attempted to stand up. You grimaced when you put weight on your right foot. Aiko clicked her tongue. “Smiling won’t convince me that you’re not in pain. Unfortunately, our first-aid is in the third gymnasium. Kaoru, please accompany her.” The setter bowed hastily. “Hai!”

As soon as the doors were shut, you hobbled down the stairs with an arm draped around Kaoru. By the time you had reached the third gymnasium your forehead was dotted with beads of sweat from the effort of pitifully hopping on one foot, even with your teammate there to help.

You noticed the familiar squeak of shoes from inside the gym. “Ah, Bokuto-san is practicing late again. He’s always like this when Fukurodani hosts the boys’ training camp,” Kaoru said absentmindedly.

The ball hit the ace’s hand with a satisfactory smack. “Ah, I went up too early.” You shifted your gaze to the other side of the net where three tall boys stood. You only recognized Kuroo, Nekoma’s team captain. He seemed to be giving tips to the lighter-haired boys.

“Kaoru! (last name)!”The boys’ team captain bounded towards the both of you. You saw Akaashi offering a curt nod before turning to a small redhead. “Aiko-san sent us here to get the first-aid kit. (first name)’s ankle needs to be treated,” Kaoru told Bokuto. “It’s over there,” he pointed at the said object. It was out of the storage room so you assumed it had been used recently. “We needed some tape for Tsukishima’s fingers,” he answered, seemingly reading your thoughts.

“Tsukki couldn’t handle Bokuto’s super straight spike~”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“I can handle Bokuto’s spike! I can block all of his spikes!”

“You can’t do that if you block so carelessly, Lev!” You snickered at Kuroo reprimanding the boy you assumed was Lev.

You sat a good distance from the court as Kaoru held the ice pack to your ankle. She glanced at the wall clock and looked towards you apologetically. “(first name), I think I should return to practice now. You can handle yourself, right? Just stay here and I’ll ask one of these guys to bring you to dinner.” Without giving you a chance to react, she set the ice pack down and jogged outside the gymnasium.

The swelling had already gone and you knew you had to bandage your ankle. You mentally cursed. You had some experience with sprains, but you had no idea how to wrap your foot.

“Akaashi-san,” you called out meekly, not wanting to interrupt their practice. The setter walked towards you after asking the other guys for a short break. “Could you please wrap my foot? I don’t know how to do it properly.” You muttered the last part, your face warming up due to embarrassment.

“Sorry to disappoint, (last name). I have little to no experience with sprains.” Akaashi then called Bokuto over. “Bokuto-san, can you bandage (last name)’s foot?” A perplexed look graced the captain’s face. “Bandage? Sorry, no. But maybe Tsukki knows how. Tsukki!”

Upon hearing his name, he made his way towards the three of you. “Tsukki, you know how to bandage a sprain, right?” Bokuto asked the blond. He scowled at the mention of his nickname, but nodded nonetheless. The ace beamed at him. “That’s great!” He pointed at the bandage in the first-aid kit. “Wrap (last name)’s ankle, it’s sprained. Dinner’s in a few minutes so we have to go~” And with that, Bokuto dragged Akaashi out the door with Lev following close behind. Kuroo turned to you and Tsukishima before leaving. “We’ll try to save some food. No promises, though.”

“Tsukki, right? You don’t have to do it yourself. I can wrap my own foot, just tell me what to do.” Tsukishima’s clicked his tongue in annoyance and picked the roll out of the box. “Tsukishima. And don’t be stubborn, I can do it myself.”

You watched him as he unraveled the bandage. He wrapped it around your foot, tugging it lightly to make sure it was tight. He applied the metal clasp to finish it off.

A silence blanketed the both of you before you realized you hadn’t thanked him. “Thank you, Tsukishima,” you muttered. He looked you in the eyes and nodded before heading off to the doors of the gym.

“W-wait, where are you going?” You called after him. You pushed yourself off the bench and limped your way towards him. “Dinner. Where else?” he answered, glancing over his shoulder to look at you. He stopped and held his arm out as if he had finally noticed you couldn’t walk properly. You gratefully leaned on his arm and he guided you out.

Halfway to the dining hall, he stopped walking. You looked up at him in confusion. “Why’d you stop?”

“You’re sweating.”

You rolled your eyes. “No shit. It’s pretty tiring hopping on one foot, even if I’ve got you as a giant crutch thing.”

Suppressing a retort, Tsukishima bent down with his back towards you. “I’ll carry you there. I can’t guarantee a smooth ride, though.” You warily wrapped your arms around his neck and he hooked your legs through his arms.

“And I thought you were an asshole,” you told him. His reply to that was to briefly let go of your legs. You squeaked and tried to not fall. He took hold of your legs again. “I didn’t know you were the type to assume things about a person based on your first impression of them.”

“Just keep walking.”

“…”

“Pack mule.”

“Don’t forget the fact that I can drop you any time I want.”

“…fuck off.”


	11. (light fluff) white-veiled occasion [tsukishima kei]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my knowledge of japanese (or just oriental) weddings is minimal so pls don't kill me for making this a western-style wedding

You let out an exasperated groan, enabling your cousin to roll her eyes. " _Why_ did you have to fall in love with Yoshida? _Why_ is his best man the boy that tormented me all throughout my middle school life and my first year of high school? _Why_ am I your maid of honor? _Why_ , Kaori?"  
  
Your cousin exhaled and shook her head at you. "You can't call him Yoshida all the time you know. You're going to have to start calling him Hachirou since I'll be sharing his name starting tomorrow."  
  
"Don't remind me," you interrupted.  
  
"Hachirou's pretty close to both Tsukishimas," she continued, "but Akiteru's been busy this whole week, so he chose Kei to be his best man at the last minute." You bit your tongue to stop a comment about Hachirou having no friends. "And you're my maid of honor because I chose you."  
  
She pushed the dining hall doors open, and the guests rushed to greet the bride-to-be. You quietly slipped away from all the congratulations and made your way to the buffet table. You hungrily welcomed the picturesque sight of delicious (and expensive) food laid out across a long table. You figured you could survive the whole night as long as you stayed within 5 meters of the buffet.  
  
Conversations and orchestra music bounced off the walls. You had a few conversations yourself, but they were all quite brief. You soon regretted not brushing up on your social skills before the dinner.  
  
"Such a somber face for such a joyous occasion. Unfitting, don't you think?"  
  
"I'm not one for parties," you said. You turned to find a familiar blond man in a black suit and white dress shirt.  
  
"Akiteru!" The older Tsukishima laughed and nodded. "Kaori said you were busy this week." He shrugged and gave you a sheepish grin. "I made time." Hope swelled up inside you. "So does that mean you're going to be Hachirou's best man?" you asked, eyes wide with excitement at the mere thought of having to walk down the aisle on the better Tsukishima's arm.  
  
"Nah, Kei's still his best man. He even has his speech ready."  
  
The balloon of hope inside you popped. "Oh. What a shame," you muttered dejectedly. Akiteru clapped your back, chuckling. "Would you rather me accompany you at the ceremony?" he jokingly asked. You stuck your tongue out at him. "You already know you're my preferred Tsukishima."  
  
"You wound me, _(last name)-chan._ " Without looking, you already knew who owned the snarky voice. You had last heard it (and been on the receiving end of his biting remarks) in high school, although it wasn't as low a pitch as it was now.  
  
"Ah, I've still got paperwork. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Akiteru, much to your dismay, fled the scene right after a short wave to both you and his younger brother. You cursed him for leaving you alone with Kei.  
  
A silence fell over the both of you, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the least. It was composed of Tsukishima smirking at you, taking a sip at his drink every now and again and you glaring at him warily. While glaring, you noticed how utterly attractive he was; dressed in a black suit, black dress shirt and red bowtie, if you hadn't known he was a prick, you'd have been fine with him. Unfortunately, he _is_ a prick and you're _not_ fine with him. Life's funny that way.  
  
"Why are you here, anyway? Mommy was invited and she couldn't trust you to be home alone?" He sniggered at his own words, and you rolled your eyes. "It's so sad that Yamaguchi's not here to laugh at your jokes, so you have to laugh at your own. And _no_ , I actually came here because I was invited. I'm the maid of honor, actually." You smirked as Tsukishima choked while downing his drink. He recovered quickly and readjusted his eyeglasses. "I was expecting someone more...adequate, for lack of better word, but it _is_ the bride's choice. Can't say I agree though."  
  
You rolled your eyes, more than accustomed to his insults. "I said the exact same thing about you being the best man, so don't think you're the only one unhappy with this."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"And then he said he didn't agree with your choice of making me your maid of honor! Fucking conceited bastard," you grumbled. Kaori peeked at you through her right eye. "Didn't you say the same thing about him when you found out he was the best man?"  
  
"Exactly! He has the _nerve_ , the _audacity_ to call me inadequate of the role! Has he even seen himself?"  
  
Your cousin hummed in agreement while her hairdresser carefully put her hair into an updo.  
  
"He's never changed, I swear. Still snarky, still cocky, still attractive, still a shit-eating prick..." you trailed off, listing every trait that popped into your head. Kaori raised an eyebrow. "Attractive?" she asked inquisitively.  
  
You didn't know why you had gotten embarrassed when she pointed out that you said attractive. You had always found Tsukishima attractive, and you never lied when somebody asked you if you thought he was, so why did you suddenly want to deny it?  
  
"Y-yeah," you managed to pathetically sputter out. Your cousin laughed at your embarrassment.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As soon as Tsukishima began his best man speech, you tuned out. You knew he'd use big words because he was just _that_ intelligent, so you didn't bother listening. You weren't the only one with that idea.  
  
Hachirou leaned towards you and whispered, "Kaori told me you think Kei's attractive." Your eyes widened. "Well, he's okay, I guess," you said in a nonchalant manner. Or at least, you tried to. "This is your night! Stick your nose into my business on another day," you berated. He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright."  
  
A voice boomed through the speakers of the hall: "The dance floor is now open!"  
  
And for reasons that include not being completely coordinated whilst wearing heels, you opted to sit out. You weren't complaining, though; the wedding party table was empty excluding you and your grandparents. It was peaceful.  
  
"Don't be such a killjoy, (last name)," you heard Akiteru say. You sipped your drink while looking up at him innocently. "Me? A killjoy? What are you talking about?" You batted your eyelashes at him. The blond rolled his eyes and held out his hand. "You know what I mean." You pouted, but took his silent invitation to dance.  
  
Two minutes into the waltz Akiteru had pulled you into, he suddenly announced he had to leave. You were fine with that, you could finally sit down, but he had other plans.  
  
"Kei, please take her for a while." Pushing you into the arms of his younger brother, he swiftly made his way off the dance floor.  
  
"Everyone's out to get me, I swear," you grumbled. Kei looked down at you with a scornful look. "And why would they do that? There's not much to get." You stepped on his foot in retaliation. "I recommend you don't say anything against me while we're dancing and I'm wearing heels," you threatened. He opened his mouth as if to retort, but stayed silent.  
  
A full song had passed, and you then realized what Akiteru had plotted. You groaned annoyedly, thumping your forehead into Kei's chest. "What the hell," he hissed. You tightened the grip you had on his shoulder and he clamped his mouth shut. Tsukishima Kei was a defiant man, but he was a man who was not fond of pain inflicted on himself.  
  
Halfway into the third song you were dancing, you chose to tell the blond about your suspicions. "I think they're trying to set us up." Kei scowled. "Why in the world would they do that?" You inhaled.  
  
"Just because I called you attractive _once_ Kaori thinks I've the hots for you! And I'm not saying I don't but I'm not saying I do either, it's just that last night you looked very handsome and boys in black just _do things_ to me and don't even get me started on how you smelled. What cologne do you use? Also, did I mention that you looked handsome? Yeah, I probably did. _Anyway_ , since she knows both of us had known each other since middle school, she figured I've always had feelings for you and I'm only starting to realize them now, blah blah, all that jazz. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was utterly and completely wrong on her own wedding day, so I remained silent. Poor choice on my part, because now she's managed to convince Hachirou _and_ Aki that I like you, and-"  
  
"Stop talking, you're giving me a headache."  
  
You frowned at the abrupt interruption, but complied, nonetheless. "I have one question. If her plan to set us up would work, would she be happier than she already is?" You cast a suspicious gaze at him. "Yes...?" you said unsurely. "Since when did you care about her feelings?"  
  
"Since I became the best man five days ago. Let's put on a show for them, then."  
  
He pulled you off the dance floor with your hands tightly intertwined. You struggled to follow him without breaking your ankles, but you managed. Barely.  
  
Basically, that's how majority of the reception went. Kei going around with you in tow, and your hands stuck together no matter what. From the corner of your eye, you could see Kaori squealing and slapping her husband's shoulder. You turned your head, and you saw Akiteru giving a thumbs up. You even saw Kaori's mom, your aunt, nodding in approval. You blushed brightly, covering your face with the unoccupied hand.  
  
"This is embarrassing," you whispered into Kei's ear. He clenched his jaw. "Just remember, we're doing this for Kaori and Hachirou." He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself more than he was trying to reassure you, but you chose to not point it out. A man's pride was his most prized possession, after all.  
  
You two made a round around the whole hall, eventually returning to the wedding party table. Kaori stood up and bounded (as much as one could bound in heels) towards the both of you. "See? I knew you liked him! And I knew he liked you back!" You laughed nervously. "Yeah, I guess." She winked at you. "Remember, the night is still young! Stay safe." With that, she left for the father-daughter dance. You visibly flushed at her words.  
  
"I guess we're pretty good actors," you said, accompanied by an awkward chuckle. Kei nodded in approval.  
  
He was still holding your hand.  
  
* * * * *  
  
You woke up in yours and Kaori's hotel room. "Kaori?" you called out. You searched and searched until you remembered she had left for her honeymoon at 7 am. It was 9 am, and the breakfast buffet was ending in an hour, so you rushed to put on a bra and make your way down.  
  
Shoving your breakfast onto your plate, you plopped yourself down unceremoniously and started eating. You rubbed the sleep out of your eyes; the reception had ended at around 1 am, but you fell asleep at around 3. You were surprised you hadn't even ingested any alcohol, although you couldn't say the same for the rest of your fellow bridesmaids.  
  
"Good morning," a grumpy voice said. Owner of grumpy voice sat in the chair across you and set his own plate down. "What's so good about it," you grumbled. You lacked sleep, and you were definitely not a morning person.  
  
You looked across you and saw Kei. Shrugging, you continued to eat your breakfast, not bothered in the slightest. As long as you got to eat, you didn't mind his presence.  
  
You left to get a refill for your juice, and when you returned, you found a note where the blond had been sitting. It was written in clean, large strokes, and you recognized it even though the last time you had seen it was in your third year of high school.  
  
I would never say this out loud, but spending majority of the reception with you last night was nice. You were slightly more adequate than I originally thought.  
  
P.S. Nice dinosaur pajamas  
  
Scrawled on the bottom was what you assumed was his number. You folded the paper and held it tightly, smirking.  
  
When you reached your room, you immediately got out your phone and saved his phone number.  
  
To: Tsukishima Kei  
  
You weren't half bad as well.  
  
A minute had barely passed and your phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"...Jurassic World is on right now. Come to my room and watch it with me. 845." And then the line went dead.  
  
What a demanding (attractive) prick.


	12. (light fluff) amoureux [tsukishima kei]

Tsukishima looked at you as you interacted with your little sister's friends.  
  
"(first name), you're so pretty! Naoku, why can't you be like your older sister?"  
  
You laughed at the toddler's compliment, dutifully thanking her. "Thank you, Hana, but Naoku will be much prettier than I am when she grows to be my age." Your little sister flushed. "N-nee-san! Don't say things like that!"  
  
You pinched your sister's cheek. "I'm older, I can say what I want." She huffed and stomped her way to your boyfriend.  
  
"Tsukishima-kun, nee-san's being mean to me," she sniffed theatrically. You rolled your eyes at your younger sister's antics.  
  
"Is that so?" Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. " _Nee-san,_ " he sneered at you. "You should set an example to your little sister. Be nice." He snickered as you scowled in disgust.   
  
"As if you're any better," you grumbled.  
  
Emi, Naoku's other friend, looked up at Tsukishima in admiration. "Are you (first name)'s boyfriend?" Tsukishima nodded his assent. "Unfortunately," he answered jokingly.  
  
You gasped, punching his shoulder. "Take that back, Kei!" He thwacked your forehead in response.  
  
Naoku shook her head, watching the two of you bicker back and forth. "They're always like this," she told her friends. Emi giggled. "It's cute! They act like my brother and his girlfriend."  
  
Tsukishima's ears perked up as he listened in on your sister's conversation. "Did you hear that, (first name)? We're cute." He smirked at you. You wrinkled your nose. "I'm sure you make up more of the cute factor, though," he said teasingly.  
  
You flushed slightly. "That's embarrassing. Don't say that," you said, covering your face with your hands.   
  
* * * * *  
  
You bent down to your sister's height, fixing the collar of her jacket. "Are you sure you'll be fine? You never fall asleep unless I tuck you in," you worried. Naoku looked appalled. "Nee-san, not in front of my friends," she hissed. Hana and Emi tilted their heads in confusion.  
  
"It's the truth, Naoku," you said sternly. After taking one look at her face your expression immediately softened. "Have fun at your first sleepover, kid." You ruffled her hair affectionately. She leaned over and embraced you.  
  
"See you tomorrow morning, nee-san!"  
  
You waved at her as you walked down the street with your boyfriend. "Remember: no boys!" You could vaguely make out your sister palming at her face in embarrassment.  
  
"No boys? If that's a rule, then why am I here?" Tsukishima asked you. "You're not a boy, Kei. You're a giraffe."  
  
"Hmm, I never knew you were attracted to animals, (first name)."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
You hugged your comforter closer to your body, legs sprawled across Tsukishima's lap. His legs were propped up on the coffee table in front of the couch. His eyes were trained on the movie playing, not even looking away to get food from the bowl between you two.  
  
"Dinosaur-loving freak," you remarked. He looked at you without turning his head and a smirk tugged at his lips. "Says the one in love with said dinosaur-loving freak," he teased.  
  
Since you were within the confines of your home, you felt no need to feel abashed. "You sound very sure of yourself."  
  
"That's because I am."  
  
More than used to his cockiness, you simply rolled your eyes. "Feed me popcorn."  
  
"Get it yourself," he retorted, extremely focused on the velociraptor scene.   
  
You huffed. "Fine."  
  
You propped yourself up and neared your boyfriend. You turned his head and closed the distance between the two of you, much to his surprise.  
  
The kiss was short and salty (due to the popcorn, of course). You broke away, smirking because you finally caught Tsukishima off-guard. "I'm sorry I made you miss the raptors," you said unapologetically.  
  
Tsukishima planted a peck on your lips, this time catching you by surprise. "We can always replay that scene."  
  
"The one time I have the upper hand, you get it back. You're very stubborn, Kei."


	13. (au) espionage [tsukishima kei]

Kuroo let out a low whistle as you tumbled through the air from platform to platform. You dodged obstacle after obstacle, all with the litheness of a panther. You landed soundlessly in front of Ukai and bowed.  
  
"How'd I do?" you asked, to which Ukai raised an eyebrow at. He looked behind him to find Kuroo, Bokuto, and Tsukishima wide-eyed and speechless. "I think you already know how you did, but just for the sake of hearing it, I think you did pretty well, judging by the look on their faces."   
  
Bokuto and Kuroo snickered. "Tsukki, you're gonna catch flies if your mouth stays open," the grey-haired male said. Tsukishima scowled in reply.   
  
You walked in front of the boys. "I'd like to see how well you boys do, but it's time for my lunch break." You smirked. "Try not to catch up to me too much, you might hurt yourselves." With that, you gave them a wave and made your way out.  
  
"Oh, (last name), I sure hate to see you go, but I do love to watch you leave," Kuroo mused, while all three boys' eyes trailed your retreating figure. "Spandex suits are truly a gift from the gods, eh Tsukki? Don't think we didn't see you looking," Bokuto teased. The blond clicked his tongue in annoyance, but flushed inwardly, not wanting to own up to checking you out. The two older males chuckled loudly, but were interrupted by Ukai clearing his throat.  
  
"I don't suppose you want me to increase the difficulty, boys?" He held the control panel, his hand hovering over the difficulty levels. "No, sir," the three boys said obediently.   
  
"Yui, you have no idea how hard it is to be in the same squad with Kuroo, Bokuto, and Tsukishima," you grumbled, sliding into your seat and taking a bite of your apple. Michimiya rolled her eyes. "It's really not your fault you're the only one at their skill level. They happen to be the best in the agency, and you're part of them." You shrugged. "I guess it's an honor and all, but still. They've been at it longer than I have."  
  
"You sure? I think you're hiding something, (first name)," Yui teased, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. You cocked your head in confusion. "I don't get it," you confessed.  
  
"What I'm saying is, you're alone with three men with looks worthy of Ancient Greek sculptures, and none of them have caught your eye?"  
  
Your eyes widened and your cheeks flamed up. "Yui!" you gasped. "This is all strictly professional," you whispered, trying to make sure nobody heard. You looked around warily. The brunette laughed. "Then don't make it professional, (first name)! Go on, tell me. Is it Kuroo? His hair _is_ intriguing. Don't even get me started on his gorgeous torso. Ooh, maybe it's Bokuto? Those biceps and quads, oh my. His butt isn't half bad either," Michimiya babbled on shamelessly.  
  
"Or is it Tsukishima?"   
  
Upon seeing an immediate reaction from you, the brunette's face lit up. "I wouldn't blame you, I guess. It was only a matter of time until you _finally_ took an interest in someone from your squad. It didn't take me long to admit to liking Daichi," she admitted.  
  
"It didn't take her long to confess either."  
  
Both of your heads turned to be greeted by Daichi, holding his own tray of food. "Apologies for interrupting. (last name), you've been called up to the office, along with the rest of your squad." You groaned, biting off the last of your apple. "Look on the bright side, (first name)! Maybe you'll get lucky." Michimiya winked. You scowled. "Professional, Yui. Remember that." Michimiya laughed and waved you off.  
  
You shook your head and made your way to the elevator. Light footsteps joined you in sync, stepping into the elevator with you. You looked up to see Kuroo, in all his spandex-wearing glory. You looked back on what Michimiya had said and silently agreed that his torso _was_ gorgeous.  
  
"(last name), great job back there in the training simulation. You definitely gave us a run for our money. You even got a certain perpetually uninterested blond fired up." The tall male winked at you and lightly elbowed your side. You scoffed. "Thanks, Kuroo. And I'm flattered that you think Tsukki has even paid attention to _me,_ of all people." The elevator dinged, signaling the arrival at your floor. You walked ahead of Kuroo, leaving him behind to shake his head. "If you only knew, (last name). If you only knew."  
  
You entered the office, only to find that Bokuto and Tsukishima had already been there before you and Kuroo had arrived. You nodded in acknowledgment, and got Bokuto waving enthusiastically in reply. You took your place next to Tsukishima and waited patiently for your orders.  
  
Kiyoko emerged from a side door, looking pristine and immaculate in a classic blouse and pencil skirt combo. "You're wondering why I've called you up," she assumed. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and tapped a few things on her tablet. Immediately the screen behind her lit up and displayed something that resembled dirt. Tsukishima raised an inquisitive eyebrow.  
  
"I take it, Agent Tsukishima, you know what this is?"  
  
"I've come across it a few times while doing research," the blond admitted. You, Kuroo and Bokuto, still clueless, looked at Tsukishima. Kiyoko nodded, then began tapping at her tablet again. The display expanded to show accompanying information to the previously shown item.   
  
"It's an Ornithomimus fossil," Kiyoko began. "It's one of the three discovered; however, it's the only fossil open for public viewing."  
  
You could hear Bokuto murmuring to Kuroo, "Bro, what are fossils again?"   
  
"Fossils, Agent _Bokuto_ , are the preserved remains of living things," Kiyoko interjected. Bokuto flushed and turned his attention back to her.  
  
"The National Museum of Prehistory is hosting an invitations-only gala, and that fossil is one of the main attractions. Our sources say the notorious thief, Daisho Suguru, will be present." Kuroo seethed at the mere thought of Daisho. "Miss Kiyoko, if you will, I'd like to be on the field for this one. Daisho and I have some... unfinished business left over from high school."  
  
"Agent Kuroo, I am assigning you and Agent Bokuto to stay at HQ and supervise the whole mission. I must remind you that personal relations are better _personal_ , and not to be brought in the workplace." Kuroo crossed his arms over his chest and huffed childishly, but nodded nonetheless.   
  
Kiyoko turned to you and Tsukishima. "Agent (last name), Agent Tsukishima, I'm relying on you to catch Daisho. Go undercover. He's stolen numerous precious artifacts; it would be against his previous deeds to _not_ steal the fossil." Beside you, Tsukishima nodded.   
  
"Miss Kiyoko, you said it was an invitations-only gala. How are we going to enter?" you asked. Kiyoko showed off a rare smirk. "You of all people should be aware of my wide web of connections, Agent (last name). Now get to wardrobe, and after receiving your disguises, proceed to the weaponry. Agents Bokuto and Kuroo, stay behind for further instructions. Dismissed."  
  
Wordlessly, Tsukishima turned on his heel and headed towards the elevator. You brisk-walked behind him, trying to catch up. The doors closed behind you. He pressed the button for the third floor, and leaned against the cold elevator wall.  
  
"So," you started, trying to make conversation. You two were supposed to work together as a team, so you might as well act like a teammate. "I haven't heard much about Daisho. What do you know about him?" Tsukishima cast an uninterested glance towards you.  
  
"Small, wispy build. Brunet. Quick on his feet. And, according to Kuroo, he's a 'royal reptilian pain in the ass', because apparently he resembles a snake," Tsukishima described. You laughed, shaking your head. "Guess we'll have to outsmart him tonight, then."  
  
The doors opened, revealing a hallway lined with doors on either side. The blond led the way, stopping at a door labeled with a hanger. He pushed the door open, and you saw clothes as far as the eye could see. The little girl in you leaped at the chance to play dress-up, but your professional side suppressed the need to gush over every gown you saw.   
  
Tsukishima stood silently as you neared a mountain of clothes. You tentatively picked one out, only to be greeted by a perky blonde. "Agent (last name)! You're here!" she squealed. You laughed; you enjoyed undercover missions mostly for the disguises, and Yachi was always more than happy to supply you with them. She pushed the costumes out of her way, emerging from the mound of cloth. "Ah, Agent Tsukishima is here too. Miss Kiyoko has already informed me of your mission. Stay there, I'll retrieve your disguises." She hurriedly ran off.  
  
Not a minute passed, and she reappeared, holding what seemed like her weight in clothes. You rushed to grab some of the articles threatening to fall. She muttered a meek 'thank you'. She set the clothes down in front of her, dusting herself off. She held up a gown in her left arm and a tuxedo in her right.  
  
"Don't look at me like that, I'm following the dress code. These are already tailored to your measurements. You don't have time to try them on, so go on now, the weaponry awaits." Yachi uncharacteristically shoved the garments into your arms, then showed you out the door.   
  
The both of you entered the weaponry, carefully dodging the projectile balls of plasma from guns gone wild. You made your way to Yamaguchi, who sat in the middle of all the clutter. Tsukishima cleared his throat to get the young inventor's attention. Yamaguchi jumped.  
  
"Tsukki- I mean, Agent Tsukishima! Agent (last name)! You're here quick." Tsukishima nodded. "We've only got a few more hours to prepare, Yamaguchi," the blond reminded him. Yamaguchi nodded erratically. "Oh, yes, yes, it must have slipped my mind! Wait here, wait here."  
  
The freckled male emerged from seemingly nowhere with a tray of advanced weapons. He set the tray in front of the two of you. "Lipstick taser, compact mirror powder bombs, glasses equipped with hidden cameras, you know, the works." You pocketed some of the weapons while Tsukishima took the others.  
  
"You guys might like this one: an expandable gun. It can easily fit a pocket or a clutch, but since we're against killing people, it merely stuns the victim for a few hours." The blond raised his eyebrows, examining the gun before keeping it in his pocket. You took your own gun, thanking Yamaguchi.   
  
"Miss Kiyoko has arranged for a limousine to pick you up at Agent (last name)'s place, seven o' clock sharp. Good luck, agents." Yamaguchi returned to tinkering with his prototypes, leaving no choice but to leave.   
  
Standing outside the weaponry door, you turned to Tsukishima. "I guess I'll see you at seven, then?" Tsukishima grunted affirmation, not sparing you a glance, then walked away.  
  
"Okay," you muttered to yourself. "Pretty cold, but I'll get him to warm up soon. Maybe." You sighed, mentally preparing yourself for what could be the hardest mission you had ever undergone, not because of the target, but because of your _partner_.


	14. (light fluff) daycare [sawamura daichi]

Your mom stood in front of you. You were sure she was speaking to you, but with your headphones on you couldn’t hear a word. Taking them off, you asked her to repeat what she had said. “Can you pick your cousin up from the daycare? Your aunt is too busy with work,” she said. You agreed, on the condition that your mom wouldn’t make you do chores for a week (you were becoming a very promising negotiator).

So there you were, standing before a sea of miniature humans half your height and less than half your age. You looked for your cousin, Keiko, and immediately spotted her at the tea time corner. You walked to her, and she perked up at the sight of you.

“(first name)-chaaan! You came to spend time with me!” She wrapped her little stubby arms around your thighs. “I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but I only came here to pick you up,” you told her while prying her away from your legs. She fell to the floor and pouted, crossing her arms. “We can leave in a while. I want you to meet my new friend! He’ll be here soon.” Knowing she was as stubborn as you were, you agreed, albeit a little unwillingly.

After two minutes of (impatient) waiting, you were just about ready to drag your cousin out and leave, but she was insistent that you meet her friend. You waited around a minute, and Keiko let out a small squeal. “He’s here, he’s here!” she chanted. You followed her gaze to see a boy around her age. “(first name)-chan, meet Sawamura Hiroto! He’s my best friend!” The child puffed out his chest. “Yup!” he chirped. You raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Nice to meet you, Sawamura Hiroto. I’m (last name) (first name), Keiko’s cousin.”

The little boy looked up at you. “How old are you?” he asked. You wondered why he would ever ask you that, but you answered, nonetheless. “I’m seventeen.” His eyes widened and his mouth formed an ‘o’. “My brother is seventeen! You should meet him!” Without waiting for you to respond, he ran away to fetch his older brother.

In less than a minute, Hiroto returned, dragging a larger version of him to you and Keiko. “(last name)-chan, this is my brother Daichi!” You shifted your gaze from the younger boy to his older brother.

You smiled, holding out your hand. “(last name) (first name),” you introduced. “Sawamura Daichi. Pleasure to meet you, (last name)-san.” He shook your hand, and your cousin and his brother made gagging motions. “You guys don’t even act like teenagers! So formal!” Keiko cried. Hiroto nodded his head vigorously. “Onii-san, you act like more of an adult than dad!” the small boy exclaimed. Daichi scowled at his younger brother. Sticking his tongue out, Hiroto ran off with your cousin to the ball pit.

“How troublesome,” you muttered. “Ten minutes tops, okay? I still have to study for my finals!” you called after your cousin’s retreating figure.

“(last name)-san, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what school do you go to?” Daichi asked you. You didn’t sense anything sketchy about him, so you answered truthfully. “Karasuno,” you told him. He grinned, turning around so you could see the writing on the back of his black jacket. “I go to Karasuno too,” he said. “What class are you in? I’ve never seen you around school.”

“I’m a third year in class five. You’ve probably never seen me since I don’t roam around campus much.”

“Ah.”

You and Daichi stood in silence. You could hear the faint laughter of your cousin in the ball pit.

“By the way, your name sounds really familiar. Are you in any of the sports clubs?” you asked the taller male. He nodded. “I’m on the volleyball team.”

The two children returned, sweating lightly because of moving around too much. “We can go now, (first name)-chan,” Keiko told you, a little out of breath. You turned to Daichi. “I guess I’ll be leaving now. Which gymnasium do you practice in?”

“The second one,” he answered hesitantly. You smiled. “Expect a visitor on Monday, then.”


	15. (light fluff) the neighbors [kuroo tetsurou]

You set the box down carefully before wiping away the beads of sweat on your forehead. “(first name), could you come help me?” your mother shouted from outside the house. You sauntered over to her and picked up the package she was struggling with. She followed you into the house and thanked you after you put the box down. “This is pretty different from Miyagi, but I know you’ll grow to love Tokyo, (first name).” You nodded. “My bedroom’s bigger than my old one and the internet here is faster. This place is growing on me already.”

You pushed your window open, breathing in the subtle fragrance of the cherry blossom trees in your neighborhood. You closed your eyes and inhaled deeply. You felt a pair of eyes on you, so you broke away from your trance. You looked at the window across yours warily and your gaze was met with glistening yellowish-brown eyes. The boy who owned said eyes quickly looked away and drew his curtains closed.

Before you could call out to him, you heard your doorbell ring. You descended the stairs, seeing your father welcome two unfamiliar adults into your new home. “You must be our new neighbors,” the lady assumed. Your mother nodded and grinned warmly. “Hai, we just arrived from Miyagi.” The man held his hand out and your father took it. Both men shook their hands firmly. “I am Kozume Kenji. This is my wife, Kozume Arisa.” Your parents introduced themselves then the adults all bowed to each other. “It’s getting late. Would you like to eat dinner in our house? We can help you get settled tomorrow,” Kozume Risa offered. Your father graciously accepted the proposal. “Thank you for the hospitality,” your mother said.

You stood before your mirror, picking at the hem of your dress. “Okaasan, must I be so formal? Wouldn’t a shirt and jeans suffice?” You looked over at your mother clicking her earrings into place. “First impressions matter a lot, my dear (first name). You aren’t even __that__ formal. You’re just wearing a dress and a little make-up.”

“Not willingly,” you muttered almost inaudibly. Your mother laughed heartily and pinched your cheeks. “I’ll get your father and then we’ll go.”

Your family waited outside the Kozume household. You managed to convince your mom that heels would be overdoing it for a dinner at a neighbor’s house, so she let you wear flats, albeit a little grudgingly.

The wooden door opened, revealing Kozume Kenji wearing something similar to your father’s get-up. “(father’s name)! Come in, come in.” He ushered all three of you inside his house. He guided your family into the dining room.

The food was set up beautifully (was that a sushi boat?) and it smelled better than it looked. “It looks delicious, Arisa. Thank you for all the effort put into this,” your mother said. “Oh, it was nothing! If you’ll excuse me, I’ll call our son down. Kenji, please seat our guests.”

The man led you and your parents to your seats then took a seat across your father. He engaged in small talk with your parents, and being uninterested, you tuned them out.

Kozume Arisa entered the dining room. “Our son will come down in a while. His friend will also be joining us for dinner, I hope you don’t mind. He lives across our house.” Your mother waved her hand. “Of course we don’t. He’s just another neighbor to get to know.”

The adults resumed their conversation, but a minute into it, two young boys walked in. You assumed the shorter one was said son, and the taller boy was his friend. “Kenma, Kuroo-kun,” Kozume Kenji acknowledged. He gestured towards the empty seats – one across you and one beside you. The shorter of the two boys took the seat across you, and the tall one sat to your left.

“This is our son, Kenma. That’s his friend, Kuroo Tetsurou,” Kozume Risa introduced. All three of you bowed your heads to each of the boys. “Thank you for the food!”

As all of you finished the dessert, Kenma’s mother spoke up. “I’ll wash the dishes. Kenma, why don’t you bring Kuroo-kun and (first name)-chan up to your room?” Kenma nodded lightly, putting his plate in the sink. He cast a glance at you and Kuroo before leaving the dining area. Kuroo did the same, and you mimicked his actions before following him out of the room and up the stairs.

The two of you walked up the stairs in silence. “We haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I’m Kuroo Tetsurou. I also live in this neighborhood.” You gave him a small smile. “(last name) (first name). My family just moved here from Miyagi.” He pushed open what you assumed was Kenma’s door and entered, you following close behind.

He settled down onto a large black beanbag chair in front of a TV. “Kenma only has two beanbag chairs. You can share with me if you want,” the dark-haired teen offered. You didn’t find the idea of sitting on the floor appealing, so you accepted his offer. Kenma entered the room dressed in a hoodie and black and red jogging pants. He nodded at the both of you, taking a seat on a burgundy beanbag chair.

“Kenma, did you know this girl just came from Miyagi? Isn’t that where Karasuno is?” Kenma glanced at Kuroo with hooded eyes. “Really,” he hummed. “Karasuno?” You asked. “I’ve heard of that school. They came to my school for a volleyball match.” Kenma clicked the power button on his Wii U, throwing the taller teen a controller. “What school were you from, (last name)-chan?” Kuroo asked you.

“I studied in Aoba Jousai.”

“They’re a good team, according to Shouyou. Karasuno lost to Seijoh in the Interhigh. They played a full set,” Kenma commented quietly, selecting Yoshi. Kuroo grumbled something along the lines of “I wanted the dinosaur.” After complaining about the unfairness of it all, he chose Donkey Kong.

“Shouyou? What’s his jersey number?” you asked Kenma. “10. He’s over the moon about the fact that The Small Giant wore the same number,” he answered, not breaking his concentration on the game one bit. Kuroo cursed as his damage meter reached 200% whilst Kenma’s was still at 20%.

“He’s a regular, isn’t he? Oikawa-kun complains about that little guy along with his kouhai a lot.” Donkey Kong flew off the screen. “I’d complain too if I were matched up with those two,” Kuroo said as he pressed down on the buttons harder. “You seem to know the Seijoh team personally. Are you friends with a few of them?” the dark-haired teen asked, struggling to talk and hit Kenma’s character simultaneously. “I was their manager,” you told him as Donkey Kong flew off the screen again.

There was a knock on the door. “It’s open,” Kenma called out. He had won the game without his damage meter reaching 200%. You turned your head to look at the door, seeing your mother. “(first name), we’ll go ahead. Get acquainted with your neighbors and don’t worry about your father and I.” You were about to protest and say that you didn’t need to stay, but the door was shut before you could stop her.

“Guess I’m staying for a while, then,” you sighed. You crossed your arms as you shifted your gaze from the floor to the TV.

It had been about an hour and Kuroo had not won any games at all. He yawned, setting the Wii controller down. He cast a glance at Kenma’s wall clock. “I should get going now,” he announced. “(first name)-san, your parents might be worried. Would you like me to walk you home?” You raised an eyebrow. “My house is right beside this one, Kuroo-san.” Kuroo laughed and shook his head. “It’s unbecoming of a gentleman such as I to allow a lady to walk home alone at this hour. Right, Kenma?” You looked at Kenma and he shrugged. “Just do what you want, Kuroo.”

The tall teen didn’t take no for an answer, so there you two were, walking the less-than-fifty meter distance to your house. You shivered as you hugged your jacket closer to your body. “I didn’t know nights in Tokyo were this cold.” You mentally cursed yourself for not wearing leggings as the frigid wind hit your bare legs. Kuroo looked at you from the corner of his eye. “If you want, we can sprint to your house so you won’t have to put up with the cold much longer.” You suppressed an eye roll. “Sprinting on cement would ruin my flats, so no thanks. Just take longer strides.” He obediently complied.

A few steps later, you realized you had underestimated the length of Kuroo’s legs. He was a few meters away from the path leading to your door. “Wait!” you cried out. You quickened your pace until you reached him. “I miscalculated the length of your legs,” you admitted. He laughed. “Do you always try to determine the length of someone’s legs?” You gasped and denied it furiously. “I do not!”

The both of you continued your __stimulating__ conversation consisting of ‘do too’s and ‘do not’s until you reached your door. You thanked Kuroo for walking you home. “My legs are __so__ tired from walking fifty meters.”

“Don’t go complaining, now. I have to walk fifty more to my house!”

You laughed. “Nobody asked you to walk me home anyway!”

The door abruptly opened and you saw your mother standing in the doorway. “Kuroo-kun,” she acknowledged. “Thank you for walking (first name) home.” Kuroo bowed to your mother. “It was no problem. I should be leaving now.” Kuroo turned to the direction of his house.

You lay on your bed, absentmindedly dangling your legs off the edge. Your phone rang, and you squinted to see the message.

**before you call me a stalker, kenma gave me your number pls dont kill me**

You laughed before looking at the other messages.

**he told me you were enrolled in nekoma and youre a third year (me too we have so much in common) and since you were seijohs manager could you come with us to practice tomorrow because we dont have a manager**

**also one of our wing spikers yamamoto complains day and night about not having a manager much less a female manager so please**

You replied:

**i’ll think about it. just wake me up tomorrow morning a few minutes before you leave**

Unbeknownst to you, Kuroo went to sleep with a big smile on his face.


	16. (light fluff) the neighbors 2 [kuroo tetsurou]

You covered your mouth with your hand as you tried to suppress a yawn. How Kozume and Kuroo did this every morning was beyond you.

The instant you woke up you regretted telling Kuroo you would come along to volleyball practice. Sure, you were used to waking up early, but Seijoh’s practices didn’t require you to wake up at __six in the morning__. That was like, earlier than the dawn of civilization (slight exaggeration). Apparently you had to wake up early so the train wouldn’t resemble a can of sardines.

So there you were, trying not to fall asleep as you were heading towards your school. It was silent for the most part, the only things you heard being the occasional announcement of every stop, Kozume’s game and Kuroo’s little comments on the former’s video game.

The train had finally arrived to your stop. The three of you started the walk to your school, the frequent beeps coming from Kozume’s handheld filling the silence.

You reached school and Kozume put his game in his gym bag. You had only been on campus once, and that was for your orientation. You barely remembered where the facilities were, so the two boys led the way to the gymnasium.

The gym looked similar to Seijoh’s. The court was already set up and the volleyballs were set off to the side.

“We’re going to the club room. You should join us,” Kuroo told you. You flushed and shook your head. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. I’m not even part of your club,” you said. Kenma was already by the door, waiting for his captain. “You will be soon enough. Come, we’ll introduce you to the team.”

Kuroo dragged you to the boys’ volleyball club room. He stopped before entering and turned to face you. “My teammates are a rowdy bunch,” he warned. “I’m sure they’ll like you, though.”

He pushed the door open. “Good morning,” Kozume drawled out. A chorus of replies came from inside the room. Kuroo pushed you into the room, and everyone immediately fell silent. “I believe some introductions are to be made. This is (last name) (first name). She recently moved here from Miyagi and Kenma and I have asked her to take up the role of manager.”

“Please take care of me!” you exclaimed. You bowed deeply. They were still silent and you were beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Oi, introduce yourselves, you lot,” Kuroo said in his ‘captain’ tone. One by one, the teens introduced themselves to you. The last boy to introduce himself had a blond mohawk. He hid behind Yaku, the team’s libero. Sensing the younger boy’s discomfort, the shorter boy took it upon himself to make the introduction. “This is Yamamoto Taketora. He’s our ace.” At the mention of being the ace, Yamamoto reddened and looked everywhere except your general direction.

“I’m sure you are a great ace, Yamamoto-san. The team probably relies on you a lot.” You didn’t think it was possible, but Yamamoto’s face turned redder. “You might want to tone the flattery down a little. Practice hasn’t started yet, and we need him to function,” Kuroo remarked. You were confused, but you agreed nonetheless.

In a matter of minutes, the team (and you) went to the gymnasium. Upon entering, you saw an elderly man dressed in a red tracksuit. “Nekomata-sensei,” Kuroo greeted. The one known as Nekomata grinned at Kuroo’s voice. “Ah, Kuroo. What is it?” The team captain gestured towards you. “I have asked this girl to be our new manager.”

Nekomata surveyed you from head to toe. “My name is (last name) (first name). Please take care of me.” You bowed deeply. The coach laughed with twinkly eyes. “You seem very reliable, (last name). Welcome to the team.”

Your first practice as the Nekoma manager went well enough. A multitude of balls threatened to hit you square in the face but you’d had enough practice with dodging them. Yamamoto still refused to engage in any conversation with you, and it worried you since you were supposed to have a good relationship with the team, but Kuroo reassured you saying he had difficulty talking to girls.

“Oi, Kenma. We’re leaving now. Aren’t you coming?” Kuroo called out to the setter. “Unfortunately, I have to stay. Lev asked me to set for him and coach was all for it. I’ll be here for at least another hour,” he mumbled.

You exited the gymnasium, waving to Kozume and mouthing “good luck.” You weren’t sure if he saw you because Lev stepped in front of him, telling the setter he’d hit any toss and that he’d become a better ace than Yamamoto.

You and Kuroo walked to the train station with some small talk here and there. You passed by an ice cream parlor and you noticed it was serving your favorite flavor as a special. You must have been staring at it pretty hungrily because Kuroo took notice and immediately made his way to the shop. You tried to stop him and tell him you didn’t want it, but he had entered before you could catch up. With a sigh of resignation, you followed him inside.

A ring resonated around the quaint shop as you stepped in. You spotted Kuroo almost instantly, his dark bedhead hair contrasting with the pastel-colored walls. You walked up to him and saw him pocket his wallet before taking two cones into his hands. He offered you one. “You didn’t have to,” you reprimanded. “I wanted to. If you won’t accept it from me then think of it as a treat from the captain to his team’s manager.” You flushed, but took the ice cream anyway. You found yourself wanting it to be from Kuroo to you, not from a captain to a manager. You didn’t want a strictly business relationship with him, no matter how much you tried to deny it.

“We best be on our way. If we hurry we can catch the train that leaves in fifteen minutes.” Gobbling down the last of your waffle cone, you dabbed a tissue at the sides of your mouth and followed Kuroo to the station.

You hadn’t anticipated the energy it would take to dodge projectile volleyballs. You dozed off, head lolling about as the train made its way to your stop.

Kuroo looked down at your sleeping figure. He smiled as he took in your features. Your lips were slightly parted and your chest rose lightly as you breathed. He had to remind himself it wasn’t ethical to kiss someone he had known for a day.

The train had arrived at your stop and he reluctantly woke you up. You stirred and looked up at him through hooded eyes. “Kuroo? Did I fall asleep?” You stifled a yawn. He nodded, shouldering his sports bag. He held his hand out to help you stand and you took it gratefully. “I’m sorry for dozing of like that. I didn’t know I’d be this tired,” you apologized. He smiled and shook his head softly. “It’s fine. I’m used to silent rides home since Kenma isn’t one to talk.”

You had arrived at your house. “Good night, Kuroo. See you in school,” you drawled out.

Maybe he was doing it subconsciously, but he leaned in. You instinctively tensed. Realizing what he was doing, Kuroo played it off by engulfing you in a warm embrace. “See you in school, (last name).” With those words, he turned around and made his way home, not daring to look back for fear of you seeing the angry blush on his face.


	17. (honestly idk) wild heart [kuroo tetsurou]

The steady beats of the low bass music resonated throughout the whole club. You scrunched your nose. You could smell the air: sweat, hormones, and alcohol.  
  
The bartender refilled your shot glass, and you wished you were a bit less tolerant to alcohol. You were always painfully sober on girls' night out, and you had your high tolerance to blame. You wished to get at least moderately intoxicated so you could forget about your friends that had left you for the wide catalog of men present.  
  
You downed your drink. Your gaze shifted from the tacky strobe lights surrounding the DJ, the booths clearly not made for heavily passionate couples, and the dance floor where hormones were at their peak. You shook your head and ran a hand through your hair; nightclubs really weren't your thing.  
  
A martini glass was set in front of you. You looked at the bartender, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "I didn't order a martini," you tried to clarify. "You didn't," he agreed. "But he did." You followed his eyes to a man a few barstools away from you.   
  
He was undeniably handsome. Sporting a red button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and obsidian pants, he looked the human embodiment of temptation. His hair was mussed up - on purpose or not, you had no idea - and his slender fingers tapped against the bar rhythmically. You observed him carefully, then turned your attention back to the bartender.  
  
"I reckon this drink is safe? Drug-free?" You inwardly cringed at how prude you were coming off as, but better safe than sorry. You eyed the glass warily. "Yes, ma'am," the bartender affirmed. "He didn't lay a finger on it. Just told me he noticed you looking mighty lonely, said he should buy you a drink. So he did." You sipped at the martini hesitantly, allowing the taste to settle in. "Send him my thanks. And tell him I'd like an introduction before he even thinks of buying another." The man nodded and walked away. You could hear him grumbling, "I'm a bartender, not a messenger. Youth these days. I ought to charge extra."  
  
You set your now empty glass down. You felt light taps on your shoulder and you turned. "The bartender told me he didn't want to deliver any more messages. He threatened to ban me from the bar if I didn't introduce myself to you personally, so here I am."  
  
You swooned internally. His voice had a sultry, velvety quality - fitting for his appearance. You looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"Kuroo Tetsurou. I bought you the drink." You felt your lips twitch up into a miniscule smile. "(last name) (first name). I received the drink."   
  
You sat staring up at him, and he stood staring down at you, and you both stared at each other in a silence filled with loud music and the occasional whoop from the dance floor.   
  
You attempted to stand up, only resulting in stumbling into Kuroo. His hands instinctively went to your forearms and steadied you. You apologized awkwardly, trying to laugh off the embarrassment. He offered you a smile, and you noticed how his eyes closely resembled a predatory cat.  
  
"If you allow my asking, would you like to dance?" Mentally sighing in relief that he seemed to brush off the stunt that happened moments before, you graciously accepted his invitation.  
  
You weren't a dancer, but you knew grinding against one another wasn't dancing. To you it resembled animals in heat.  
  
You threw your views out the window as soon as you stepped onto the dance floor with Kuroo. His hands flew to your hips, and you immediately gave in. You let the tacky low bass music overcome your body, but you later found out you didn't need to do anything. Kuroo was guiding you every step of the way; he was like a conductor, and your body was his orchestra.  
  
"I may or may not be slightly inebriated and I may or may not regret saying this if we ever meet again in much quieter circumstances, but you're very attractive," you shouted over the music in an attempt to get Kuroo to hear you. He cocked an eyebrow and smirked at you, lowering his head to your ear. He pulled your hips into his, eliciting a high-pitched gasp from you. "You're quite alluring yourself," he whispered, and you didn't know how you could hear a whisper amidst the moans and groans of the dance floor, but you know you heard him right.  
  
* * * * *  
  
You slumped over your table, rubbing your head in an attempt to relieve the pain. Your friend offered you a pain reliever, and you took it gratefully.  
  
"Was last night the first time you got smashed?"  
  
You squinted at your roommate who so conveniently chose to stand in front of the window, the glaring late morning sunlight forcing you to shut your eyes tight. "Smashed is not how I would define it," you defended. "I just drank a bit. The cause of this headache is most probably the bad music."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Right. Anyway," she started. "I met this absolute _babe_ last night and his name is Kai Nobuyuki. How convenient is it that he even goes to school here? It's such a small world!" You offered a weak "yeah" before letting out a moan due to the pain. Disregarding your obvious aching, she continued, "I'm going over to his dorm right now. His roommate is coming over since he doesn't want to be in our business, so be nice."   
  
"Go get 'em, tiger," you said meekly. Talking in normal tones took too much effort on your part.  
  
You heard three loud raps at the door, and you covered your ears. "Too fucking loud," you grumbled. She opened the door and greeted whoever had the audacity to pound on it.  
  
"You're Kai's roommate? Come in! I'll be making my leave now."  
  
Still shutting your eyes, you spoke to whoever came in. "Please shut the door quietly, this headache is unbearable."  
  
"(last name)?"  
  
You groaned and nodded. "Yes, that's my name-"  
  
You paused abruptly. You recognized that voice.  
  
"Kuroo," you said weakly. He pulled up a chair and sat across you. "Fancy seeing you here," he commented. You hummed your agreement.  
  
"You told me you'd regret calling me attractive if we ever met again. I hope you don't regret saying so, because I sure don't."  
  
You were about to make a remark on his bluntness, but before that, you peeked at him through one eye.  
  
He was wearing a deep burgundy hoodie and gray sweatpants. His hair was still unkempt, and he looked like he had just woken up.  
  
You cursed yourself for still thinking he was the most handsome person you had ever laid your eyes upon.  
  
"My slight intoxication did not in any way alter how you appeared to me. You still look the same, but I admit, the messy look suits you a bit more." You reprimanded yourself for speaking without a filter. You weren't as forward as your roommate, but at the moment you were giving her a run for her money.  
  
"The same goes to you," he confessed.  
  
You two sat in silence, and it seemed almost exactly like the scene the night before, but this time it was pure silence, sans the odd groan or two, courtesy of you.  
  
Choosing to completely disregard the pounding in your head, you invited him to join you on the couch to watch reruns of TV shows. Albeit a little confused as to why you would want to watch bad sitcoms with a migraine, he wholeheartedly agreed, taking a seat beside you.   
  
* * * * *  
  
You woke up in a mess of tangled limbs. You opened your eyes a crack, and you found yourself staring at Kuroo's sleeping face. You looked out the window, and you noted the faint purple tint of the sky, signaling sunset. You two had spent the rest of the morning watching TV and the whole afternoon napping.   
  
Not what you pictured for an almost-first-date.


	18. (idk either) no strings attached [kuroo tetsurou]

You massaged your ankles as you sat down in a booth near the dance floor. Your friend Michiko followed suit, sitting across you.   
  
"Told you it would be fun," she teased. She had a smug look on her face as you rolled your eyes at her.   
  
"Fun? Okay, maybe. Painful? Yes. My heels are killing me." You groaned, unstrapping your heels to let your feet breathe. Being the great friend that she was, she laughed and brushed your agony off. "Don't be silly, (first name). Remember: beauty-"  
  
"-is pain. I know. It's even your senior high school quote."  
  
"Which just proves how much I believe it to be true."  
  
You stuck your tongue out at her. "I'm not ready for a round two. Give me a few."  
  
Minutes passed and the soreness was finally subsiding. You bent over your knee to put your shoes on properly, but nearly stopped dead when you heard Michiko conversing with two significantly unfeminine voices. You snuck a peek over the tabletop to see two tall men. Two _familiar_ tall men.  
  
Bokuto, looking like the human embodiment of chill, was chatting animatedly with Michiko. You saw him motion to the bar and Michiko nodded her head. She slid out of the booth, leaving you staring dumbfounded.  
  
Kuroo took Michiko's place across you, resting both arms on the backrest. "I see we've found ourselves alone again, (last name)-san. How quaint." You mentally rolled your eyes.  
  
"Who says quaint? You aren't a preppy schoolboy, Kuroo," you hissed his name through your teeth. He chuckled, looking at you through half-lidded eyes. "I'll be whatever you want me to be, princess." You scowled. "I want you to be gone."  
  
He raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Is that really what you want?" You averted your eyes, silently thanking the club's horrible lighting for helping you cover the raging red color your face had become. You cleared your throat and changed the topic.  
  
"I take it, this is all your plan? Bringing Bokuto along to distract my poor, unsuspecting friend, just so you could take aforementioned friend's place?"  
  
"Aren't you a smart one. That's kind of the job description of a wingman, just so you know."  
  
You stole a look at Kuroo, taking in his features. The leather jacket he wore looked undeniably striking, although you wondered how he could stand wearing it in the club, which was extremely humid. "Aren't you hot?" you pointed out.  
  
"You're finally taking notice? And just when I thought you weren't falling for my charms."  
  
You flushed. " _No!_ I meant, aren't you _feeling_ hot? You're wearing a jacket, and this place is like a sauna with all the sweat and bodies." Kuroo laughed. "I was just messing around. If you're really that concerned, I'll take my jacket off. Not sure if you can handle it though." He winked at you, then shrugged his leather jacket off, placing it beside him.  
  
The black shirt he had worn underneath it did very much justice to his torso. It showed off his athleticism perfectly; built biceps, broad shoulders, a firm stomach.  
  
"(last name) (first name), are you eyeing me up? If you prefer, I can show you the rest. Just find a more private place."  
  
You pinched your nose in irritation. "You know, Kuroo, my mother warned me about men like you."   
  
"Tall, dark, and handsome? Looks good in bed, is even greater when experienced?"  
  
"You think too highly of yourself."  
  
"You wound me, (last name)-san." Kuroo clutched his heart dramatically.  
  
Disregarding his theatrics, you continued. "She warned me about smooth talkers, and _you_ , Kuroo Tetsurou, are one of them. I'd be better off not knowing people with the likes of you."   
  
Kuroo smirked. "Is that so? How about you prove to me that you're not even the tiniest bit in love with me?"  
  
You crossed your arms over your chest, suddenly feeling conscious. "I don't need to prove a clear fact." You tilted your chin up proudly.   
  
"Then there's no harm in proving it to _me_ , is there? Kiss me."  
  
A look of disbelief graced your face. "You're kidding me," you insisted. Kuroo shook his head. "As honest as a witness in court, princess. Kiss me. If you really don't have feelings for me, you'll do it, no strings attached."  
  
Your eyes darted around frantically, trying to look for Michiko and Bokuto, or anything that could get you out of the situation you were in.  
  
"But-"  
  
"But what? You know, if you keep hesitating, I'm gonna start thinking you really _do_ like me, (last name). Maybe even something more than that."  
  
You weighed the pros and cons. Pros: (1) Kuroo actually wasn't that bad of a guy, and you kind of did like him, (2) Kuroo's looks were definitely a great plus, and (3) he may stop bugging you if all he wanted was a kiss. Now a major con was the possibility that you may get carried away because of how you felt for him. You couldn't lie; he was great eye candy.  
  
"Alright," you agreed. " _But_ , let's keep this between ourselves, okay?" Kuroo looked like he wanted to question why, but he kept his mouth shut.  
  
He moved to sit beside you, and you turned to face him. "One kiss," you said, holding up one finger for emphasis. "One kiss," he assured, "Unless you want more." He wiggled his eyebrows, making you frown. "Don't make me take it back, Kuroo."  
  
Then suddenly, everything was in slow motion. His face neared yours, and you felt his hand tilt your chin up while simultaneously bringing you closer. You made no objections, letting him do what he wanted.  
  
His lips were surprisingly soft. You tasted a hint of lip balm, making you think that he had already planned on kissing you, but you didn't say anything. Your rested your hand on his neck, and the other on his face, pulling him impossibly closer.  
  
You eventually broke away, feeling a little light-headed. "Wow," Kuroo muttered. You mouthed the same. Both of you avoided each other's gaze.   
  
You turned to him. "No strings attached, right?" You yourself felt a little unsure about your statement. You knew you had always felt something for Kuroo, but kissing him just confirmed the fact. "Uh, yeah," Kuroo replied, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.  
  
Ever the amazing friends with equally amazing timing, Bokuto and Michiko showed up. "(first name), you ready to go? I hope you're ready to drive, because I feel smashed," she slurred. Bokuto laughed heartily. "Kuroo, bro, you sure you didn't drink anything? You look woozy."  
  
"Oh? Um, yeah, I'll just... yeah. Are we leaving too?" The ace looked at Kuroo as if he had grown two heads, but Kuroo gave him a look that said _we'll talk later._ "Yeah, sure," Bokuto affirmed, bringing the raven-haired man along with him.   
  
You noticed Kuroo left his leather jacket, so you picked it up and threw it over your shoulders. "Let's go, then?" you asked Michiko. She rolled her eyes at you. "My gosh, (first name), don't act like it didn't happen. I saw it all, while Bokuto was telling me all about his being am amazing wingman. Very steamy." You gaped at her. "It wasn't like that!"  
  
"Sure it wasn't," Michiko teased. "Let's get home. Wouldn't want you looking like a zombie when you give Kuroo his jacket tomorrow."


	19. (angst) this hole in my heart [sugawara koushi]

_{this hole in my heart is in the shape of you}_

You watched sympathetically as you saw yet another confession go down in flames.  
  
"Thank you for the chocolates, Aiko-san. Please excuse me, I must go to my classroom now." You shook your head as Aiko helplessly tried to call Sugawara back.  
  
"That was the third failed confession in the last two weeks. At least let the girl finish, Koushi," you chided. His eyes went wide as if he had finally realized the chocolates were not meant to express platonic feelings. "I didn't know she was going to confess. Aiko has been my classmate since last year, and I was paired up with her for our Japanese History presentation. I thought she was voicing her appreciation," he defended. You suppressed an eye roll. How could such a clever boy be so dense?  
  
"You need to become aware of the fact that people _like_ you. Hell, even people in the lower years like you!" He shook his head at your statement. "You're imagining things. There's no way people would even give me a second glance." You wanted to wring his neck. How in the world could he not fathom even a smidgen of a possibility that _someone, somewhere_ thinks he's the closest thing to perfect?  
  
"You undervalue yourself too much, Kou. I know a lot of people that would give you their first, second and third glance. Said people would even give you _all_ their glances." The grey-haired boy waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be silly. Who in their right mind would think that highly of me?" You stayed silent, not giving him a response, but instead taking your assigned seat behind him.  
  
You couldn't count the number of people that would think of Sugawara that way.  
  
All you knew is that you were one of those people.  
  
You knew what love was. You had an idea of what it felt like. You'd read a few romance novels yourself, too. But like they always say, experience is the best teacher.  
  
You cursed everything that depicted love as magnificent. When you realized you had fallen in love with your best friend, you expected nothing short of the typical best friends turned lovers cliché. You expected a happy ever after.  
  
You didn't know life never followed clichés. The harsh reality hit you in your last year of middle school.  
  
 _You waited for Sugawara at the school gates, ready to head home. You shifted your weight from foot to foot, checking your phone every now and again for any messages from your best friend. You were about to call him saying you would leave without him since it was getting late, but you looked up and saw a familiar mop of silver hair._  
  
 _And brown hair._  
  
 _You straightened your uniform and fixed your posture subconsciously before facing them. "Aya-san! I didn't know you stayed in school this late." The brunette giggled, latching onto the grey-haired boy's arm. "I'm here because Koushi-kun is walking me home," she replied. "Ah, of course."_  
  
 _"So why are you here this late?" she asked, completely oblivious to the small tension growing between you and Sugawara. "I was finishing up my project in the library. I'm done now, though, so I'll be making my exit." Without making eye contact with either of the two, you said your good-byes and left without looking back._  
  
He didn't walk you home the day after that. And the day after that. And the day after that.  
  
Then the day you weren't aware you were waiting for came. He told you he had broken up with Aya, and that he could start walking you home again.  
  
That day, you were over the moon. Your heart sang and suddenly you felt like nothing could go wrong.  
  
You wished he hadn't told you, because all it did for you was give you false hope.  
  
Sometimes people would ask you why you never dated anyone. You would always brush it off and say nobody had caught your eye, and you would rather dedicate your time to studies.  
  
"(first name), can I ask you something?" If he had said this to you years ago, your mind would have immediately wandered to scenarios of how he would confess to you. But this was high school, and you had since grown out of your daydreaming.  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
"Why haven't you ever dated anyone? Just wondering."  
  
You didn't know what to say. Would you give the general answer you give to everyone or would you finally tell the truth?  
  
You opted to stay silent for the rest of the walk home. Sugawara got the idea and followed your example, not saying anything to you.  
  
You reached your house, and you turned to your best friend. "Koushi..." you started. "I've never dated because someone has left a hole in my heart, and even though that person has since been hurting me, I can't help it. First love is the hardest to get over, after all." Sugawara's mouth formed a line, waiting for you to continue.  
  
"This hole in my heart is in the shape of you. And no one else can fit it."  
  
  


* * * * * *  
  
"(first name), let's go study in the coffee shop!" your roommate said. You didn't respond, focusing on revising for your English test. Not taking lightly to being ignored, she slammed the book shut, making you look at her incredulously. "Why in the coffee shop? I can study just fine here."  
  
"The coffee shop has such a peaceful atmosphere!" She waited for a while before she added, "And fast wi-fi."  
  
You rolled your eyes. "Suuure. You just want to hit up cute baristas." Akemi scoffed. "Just come with me."  
  
She dragged you out to the coffee shop. She barely gave you time to freshen up so you were rocking the I-woke-up-like-this look ("It's very _in_ these days," she reassured).  
  
"I'll get our drinks." You trusted her to get your order right, then you sat down and reopened your English book, turning to the page where you left off. You read each page carefully, not missing any detail.  
  
You were at a particularly interesting segment when your chair lurched sideways. You fell to the ground with a dull thump. You looked up to see the cause of your fall, and nothing could have prepared you for what you saw.  
  
"I'm so sorry- (first name)?"  
  
Sugawara Koushi. Your first (and only) love. You cursed whoever made this happen.  
  
"Ah, yeah. Hello, Sugawara-san." He frowned at the use of his last name and the honorific. You gratefully took his hand and he pulled you up. "Cut the formalities. You can still call me Koushi, you know."  
  
"...Koushi," you said hesitantly. He flashed you his signature smile, and you wondered how he could act so painfully _normal_ after all these years.  
  
"I didn't know you went to university here," he said. He pulled a chair to your table and sat down. "Well, now you know." You shifted your gaze towards your book, completely aware of his gaze piercing through you. "Are you here alone?"  
  
"No," you replied, not taking your eyes off the book. You weren't even reading it; you just wanted to avoid facing him. "I'm here with my roommate."  
  
"Oh."  
  
An uncomfortable silence settled onto the both of you, and you prayed to anyone who was listening for Akemi to come back.  
  
"(first name)...remember what you told me in our last year of high school?"  
  
Of course you remembered. It had practically been engraved into your memory.  
  
You hummed your assent, still not sparing him a glance.  
  
"I-it took me a while to realize, but once we graduated, I found out there was a hole in my heart, too. And coincidentally, it's in the shape of you."  
  
You bowed your head so your hair could cover the angry red on your cheeks.  
  
"Just like you said, no one else can fit it. Why would I want them to?"  
  
You bit your lip and fiddled with the pencil in your hand.  
  
"(first name), please look at me."  
  
You lifted your head, and you saw Sugawara looking at you with the softest gaze you'd seen. "I'm sorry for causing you so much grief. I really am. I want to make it up to you." You involuntarily scoffed, bitterness from your earlier years resurfacing. "I'd like to know how you would, Koushi."  
  
He only said one thing before getting up and leaving. "Meet me here tomorrow. The same time as now, okay?"

_{no one else can fit it. why would i want them to?}_


	20. (fluff) light up the sky [sugawara koushi]

Sugawara laughed as you continued to drag him towards the park. "What's the rush, (first name)? The show doesn't start for another thirty minutes."   
  
You rolled your eyes at your best friend. "I want a good spot, obviously! You're supposed to be smart, Koushi."  
  
"Hey!" You laughed, tugging at the grey-haired boy. "Hurry up! I want some hustle!" You turned your head and he stuck his tongue out at you. "Yes, coach!"

  
The two of you arrived at the clearing, a bit breathless from running. Sugawara placed the blanket on the grass and lay down, patting the spot next to him. You lay in the space next to him and looked up at the stars. You pointed at a particularly bright one. 

"I'm naming that one after you. Polaris Suga."

He laughed richly, shaking his head. "That's actually Mars, but maybe you could persuade scientists to change its name." You pushed your hand into his shoulder jokingly. "Smartass. Get off my blanket."

You continued pointing stars out, and Sugawara - ever the kind friend - humored you ("yes, (first name), that's Pluto"). You kept at it until clouds blocked your view of the stars.

You pouted, seeing the bright lights disappear behind the clouds. "At least the fireworks show is going to start soon," Sugawara said. You nodded, remembering the reason you came in the first place. "Yeah! And we've got a great spot, too. I'm so pumped." He made a comment about you resembling Hinata at his first tournament with Karasuno, but you waved it off. 

You loved fireworks. The way they brought life to the Stygian-black sky, the way they made starry nights even brilliant; you just couldn't help your having a fascination for them. 

The collective groan from the people around you jarred you back to the present. You looked around confusedly, wondering why people would even _think_ of being gloomy at a fireworks show. "What happened, Koushi?" you asked your best friend. He shrugged. "Not sure."

Then you felt it. A cold, hard droplet of rain hit your forehead. Then another hit your nose. Then another hit your cheek. It then started pouring.

Your mood immediately plummeted. You were so eager to see the fireworks and your hopes and dreams got crushed by falling water. You got the sudden urge to curse at the sky. 

"Fucking hell," you muttered under your breath, just loud enough for Sugawara to hear. He smiled apologetically at you as if the ruined firework show was his fault. "I know this sucks, but we can have some good alternatives at my house, yeah? Brownies? Movies? Cookies? Anything you want, (first name). I know you're feeling pretty miserable right now." The thought of your best friend's baking lifted your spirits slightly. "Yeah, sure."

* * * * *

You mixed the batter gingerly, still brooding over not being able to see the fireworks. Sugawara noticed your sullen mood.

"Ne, (first name). Cheer up." He poked your nose with his cookie dough-coated finger. You looked up at him, startled, then took on a more mischievous look. "Koushi- _kun_ ," you mused, putting emphasis on the suffix. You scooped up some dough of your own and flicked it at him. It landed on his shirt and his apron. You laughed, pointing at his tainted clothing. "Woops," you said with no repentance in your voice. "My mistake."

"You're lucky we made more than enough dough," he grumbled, putting the pan into the oven. He turned his timer on then faced to you. You stuck your tongue out childishly.

While waiting for the timer to sound, the two of you sat on Sugawara's couch watching an anime. Your legs were propped up across his thighs, your hands resting comfortably on your stomach.

"Are you still sad over the fireworks?" he asked you. You hummed, eyes trained on the television. "A bit," you murmured. Your best friend leaned over to see your face. "You sure? One-hundred percent?" His warm brown eyes stared into your own. You immediately grew hot at the close proximity.

"Yes, Koushi!" you squeaked out. You sunk into his couch, trying to calm yourself down. He followed, keeping the same distance. "I hope these fireworks suffice."

You were about to ask him what the hell he was talking about, but you opted against it and let him do what he wanted.

He closed the gap between the two of you, and you felt his lips on yours. Your brain short-circuited and you didn't know what to do. Yes, you had fantasized about Sugawara (he was devilishly attractive) but you had never imagined experiencing actually _kissing_ him. 

Overcoming your initial shock, you mirrored his movements. You wound your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. 

The timer of Sugawara's phone rang, and if the cookies weren't at risk, you would have continued. The two of you reluctantly broke away, both of your faces flushed.

"It was getting good, too," the gray-haired boy said. He visibly reddened upon realizing that he had said that out loud. You laughed, pushing him off the couch.

"Get the cookies, Koushi. We'll continue this after."


	21. (angst) diminuendo [sugawara koushi]

> _{diminuendo; decrease in intensity}_

  
Sugawara Koushi loved music. Ever since the womb, he had been surrounded by melodies and harmonies.  
  
He had a special affinity for classical piano pieces. The grandeur of the sounds it produced surpassed its elegance. Koushi felt as if he was experiencing the music and becoming one with it every time he played.  
  
Once upon a time, when people would ask Koushi his favorite song, he'd compare it to asking a mother her favorite child.  
  
Now he has an answer. And his answer is (last name) (first name).  
  
You. He could often decipher a person at first glance and immediately associate a song with them, but your case was different. He found you difficult to understand, and even more difficult to find a melody perfect enough for you. No composer in the world, dead or alive, could make a piece worthy of the grace you held in your body.  
  
You intrigued him, and he craved to know your inner workings; he wanted to know what notes you were composed of, what tempo you followed. He wished to put you into a concrete work of art, but he could not grasp which aspect he would start with, and even more with which aspect to end with.  
  
You eventually opened up to him. You let him read you over and over like a composition he was trying to absorb, but even then, he couldn't put you into notes on paper. He couldn't find anything to associate you with; you were an enigma, a conundrum, a riddle that even the wisest man couldn't solve.   
  
He became your best friend, your confidant, your lover. He became the last thing you thought of before you slept and the first thing you thought of when you woke up. He was close to decrypting you, and you were okay with that. You allowed his hands to trace the line of your lips, his lips to trail over the bridge of your nose, his nose to ghost over the space between your shoulder blades.   
  
He loved you in all ways, big and small. He held your hair back when you cried, and he hugged you when you rejoiced. He held your hand when you crossed the street and he'd tighten his grip when you crept closer to him. He loved you deeply, madly, truly, profoundly.  
  
You left.  
  
He wasn't surprised in the least. He knew from the start you were as constant as the weather. It was his mistake to fall in love with a paradox as obscure as you.  
  
He found comfort in the fact that you assured him. You assured him you loved him as deeply, as madly, as truly, and as profoundly as he had you. You promised him you had cherished every moment you spent, every laughter you shared, every memory made. Then you left without looking back.  
  
He then had an idea of what song you were. Your tempo was ever-changing, your notes and chords were deafening and quiet. You were the song that would keep any man on his toes. You were the perfect blend of soprano and bass, contralto and tenor.  
  
You were still a problem left unsolved for him, but he was sure of one thing: your song contained multiple diminuendos, and he wasn't certain if its volume would intensify as you had when you were with him.  
  
 _"I came to say good-bye."_  
  
"I came to let you go. Thank you for loving me with all your heart, Sugawara Koushi."


	22. (angst) believe me, i love you [yamaguchi tadashi]

_{believe me, i love you}_

Yamaguchi heard the familiar tone of the Super Mario theme song. He silently cursed as he rushed to find his phone, knowing his teammates would wake up. Tsukishima groaned and covered his ears with his pillow. "Yamaguchi," he grumbled. "Turn off your ringtone."  
  
"Sorry, Tsukki!" he whispered. He squinted at his phone, toning the brightness down before reading the message.  
  
FROM: (last name) (first name)  
  
tadashi, you awake?  
  
His phone vibrated in his hand, and he saw another message appear.  
  
FROM: (last name) (first name)  
  
sorry that was a stupid question to ask lol but hopefully you're awake right now. please meet me at the park. you know where to go.  
  
Yamaguchi frowned. He _did_ know where to go, but that didn't mean he'd actually go there. It was nearly one in the morning. He was used to your spontaneity, but you hadn't given him a good enough reason.  
  
TO: (last name) (first name)  
  
it's 1 am and i WOULD go but im scared of captain  
  
FROM: (last name) (first name)  
  
please come, tadashi. i'll explain to your captain if you get caught.  
  
Knowing you were going to wait until the crack of dawn for him, he left the room quietly. He closed the door as gently as possible and made his way to your favorite spot in the park: the playground.  
  
 _You sat on the rough sand, clutching your wounded knee tightly. You tasted the saltiness of your tears and you bit your lip to keep from crying out._  
  
 _"What's wrong?"_  
  
 _You tilted your head up to see a freckled boy looking at your knee. He held his hand out to help you stand and you took it gratefully. "I fell off the swing," you told him tearfully._  
  
 _You felt him wipe your cheek with his thumb. "That's okay. I always fall off the swing. I have a band-aid; do you want one?" You nodded and took the band-aid he offered you. You thanked him feebly, shifting your weight from foot to foot. "You're welcome...?"_  
  
 _"(last name) (first name)."_  
  
 _He gave you a toothy grin. "Okay! You're welcome, (last name)! I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi, by the way."_  
  
You pushed yourself off the ground lazily. Honestly, you were terrified. What if Yamaguchi wasn't coming? He didn't reply, so you had no indication that he even saw your message. What if you would get kidnapped? What if your parents came looking for you?  
  
You groaned and cursed yourself for not thinking about all the possible outcomes of the situation.  
  
"A penny for your thoughts?"  
  
You saw Yamaguchi and you nearly cried from relief. You enveloped him in a bear hug, leaving him dumbfounded. "You're affectionate," he commented. You waited a few moments before pulling away. "I thought you wouldn't come. I'm sorry, I overreacted."  
  
After inwardly cringing at how forward you were being and how haggard you probably looked, you offered Yamaguchi the swing beside yours. You both sat in silence, staring up at the stars. You were relieved that Yamaguchi hadn't asked you why you called him to come. You knew he was just waiting until you were ready.  
  
"Tadashi." Your voice cracked and you grew embarrassed. You cleared your throat and tried again. "Tadashi," you said, more firmly than the first time. "Hm?" he replied without taking his gaze away from the sky.  
  
"I hate myself for saying this, and I may possibly ruin everything that is happening, but I'll go right ahead and say it since I prefer to regret things I did rather than regret things I didn't.  
  
You may or may not have noticed it, but I have feelings for you, Tadashi. I always thought you were just an average boy, but I started noticing you in school after you offered me a band-aid that day in this very place. I noticed your little quirks and I grew to be fond of every single one of them.  
  
Then high school came. I wasn't expecting to see you at the same high school, but there you were. I wondered if it was a curse or a blessing since I wanted to get over you as soon as possible, but I took it as a blessing. As an opportunity to get to know you more.  
  
And then time passed. It's only the middle of the school year but I've fallen for you, Tadashi. And I'm still falling.  
  
I love you, Yamaguchi Tadashi. Sure, I have no experience regarding love, but I'm pretty sure of what I feel for you. I love you, and I'm sorry if this ruins our friendship completely. I just really needed to tell you."  
  
Yamaguchi pursed his lips, gripping the rope keeping the swing suspended so tight his knuckles turned white. He was silent for a long time, and you already had the feeling his response wasn't what you were imagining in your stupid too-good-to-be-true daydreams.  
  
"(first name), please believe me when I say this: I love you."  
  
Your eyes widened. You opened your mouth to ask him to repeat what he had said. Did you hear him right? Did the silence mean he had accepted your feelings?

  
"But not in the same way you feel about me. I'm sorry."  
  
Oh. Oh. _Oh._  
  
You bit your lip and nodded, feeling the tears pricking at the back of your eyes. "Don't apologize. It's fine. I'm fine." You looked up at the sky and smiled bitterly. You felt a tear roll down your cheek and just laughed inwardly about the unfairness of it all.  
  
You knew your life wasn't a romantic cliché. You just wished you hadn't expected it to be one.

_{but not in that way}_


	23. (light fluff) no lov for lev [haiba lev]

"Kenma, she's the most beautiful person I've ever seen!"  
  
"Her eyes are beautiful, Kenma!"  
  
"Kenma, Kenma! Even when she's eating she's beautiful, look!"  
  
An irk mark formed on the setter's head. He ate his food slowly, not bothering to hide his irritation. He made eye contact with Kuroo and silently begged for him to make Lev shut up. Kuroo laughed at his misery. What a bastard.  
  
"Lev, you've barely said five words to her." Kuroo finally spoke up to put Kenma's distress to a stop. Lev waved his hand dismissively. "It's better than none, captain. I bet I'd become an even better ace than I already am if she was cheering for me!"  
  
Yamamoto clenched his teeth at the sheer conceit of the first year. "You might want to try improving your overall skills," he growled out. "And if you haven't noticed, her loyalties lie with Fukurodani, since she's their assistant manager." Lev laughed as if you being at Fukurodani hadn't changed his dream of you cheering for Nekoma (or just him). "It's okay that I'm a better ace than you are, Yamamoto. You don't have to bring me down so you can feel better about yourself."  
  
"You're delusional," Kenma muttered. If Lev had heard him, he showed no indication of doing so.  
  
"Eh? Where's Kuroo?" Yamamoto asked, turning his head to look for their captain. "He's bringing Bokuto over," Kenma said. He noticed you being dragged by both captains, but he opted to stay silent since Lev was still busy ranting about how _beautiful_ you looked.  
  
The three of you stopped behind Lev. Kuroo put a finger up to his mouth, silently telling his teammates to not tell the first year you were behind him. You hid behind Bokuto who was trying to cover up his snickers with fake coughs.  
  
"Did you see her giving her team water bottles? Why can't she give water bottles to me?" At that point, everyone had given up trying to tell Lev you were Fukurodani's assistant manager, not theirs.  
  
"And who might you be talking about, Lev?" Kuroo asked with a sly grin. Lev turned his head, and behind him, Yamamoto and Inuoka covered their mouths with their hands as they tried to conceal their laughter. "(last name) (first name), captain!"  
  
Bokuto side-stepped so he was to your right, and Lev's eyes noticeably widened, accompanied by a light pink dusting his cheeks. "I'm flattered that you want me to give you water bottles, Haiba." Lev's face reddened as you said his name. "But you should keep in mind that I am loyal to my school." Without so much as a wave good-bye, you turned on your heel and walked back to the table for managers and assistant managers.  
  
Both captains were clutching their stomachs from laughing too much. Yamamoto was tearing up, Inuoka was choking on his own saliva, and even Kenma offered a little laugh at the whole situation. It wasn't so much a laugh as it was him breathing out more air than usual, but it was a laugh to him.  
  
"Wait, wait. Kuroo," Bokuto said after gasping for air. "Hear me out." Kuroo nodded, feigning wiping a tear from his eye as he finally calmed down.   
  
"No love for Lev."  
  
The whole table erupted into laughter at Bokuto's words. Kuroo called him a genius for coming up with that, and Lev huffed and crossed his arms over his chest indignantly.   
  
* * * * *  
  
Your team had won against Nekoma, and you began gathering all of the towels and water bottles. You noticed a familiar middle blocker talking to a redhead by the door. Remembering what had happened earlier at lunch, you took a still-full water bottle in your hand and walked over to the pair (with a very visible height difference).  
  
"Haiba," you said. Lev stiffened and turned towards you. The redhead seemed to have taken that as his cue to leave. You held your hand out, offering the white-haired boy the black water bottle. He simply stared at it as if it was some kind of unidentified object. Rolling your eyes, you took his hand and gave it to him. "That was a nice game back there. You deserve this."  
  
Realization dawned upon Lev as he looked at the bottle in his hand. His previously wounded ego suddenly healed, and he had newfound confidence. "So does this mean you like me? Can we go out sometime?" You scowled. "Don't get ahead of yourself, lover boy. See you around."  
  
Gaping at your retreating figure, Lev sighed. It was worth a try.  
  
At least he could tell his teammates there was _some_ love for Lev. You had called him lover boy, after all.


	24. (fluff) your touch, your skin [iwaizumi hajime]

_{your touch, your skin_

_where do i begin?}_   
  


Iwaizumi dropped his bag unceremoniously on the floor, shutting the door behind him. He heaved out a tired sigh and marveled at his misfortune. First, he spilled his morning coffee on his white shirt, then when he had finally cleaned up, he entered his English classroom and was welcomed with a test he forgot about. The vending machine ate his money, there was a hole in his sock, and coach had _coincidentally_ chosen that day to crush the team with drills. Unsurprisingly, Oikawa (they were going to the same university, obviously), had executed each one _perfectly_. Also unsurprisingly, right after practice had ended, a few of Oikawa's legion of fans approached him.  
  
 _"Please give these chocolates to Oikawa-sama! I stayed up all night to make them!"_

_"You could have pulled an all-nighter for better reasons."_  
  
The brunette groaned at the memory that had taken place around an hour ago. He usually felt liberated after practice, but he was just feeling particularly irritable due to everything else that had happened.  
  
He trudged to his room listlessly, but much to his chagrin, dragging his feet along the floor resulted in him stubbing his toe against the leg of a chair.  
  
"Fuck," he cursed loudly. He hissed in pain as he resumed his journey to his room. He hoped he could sleep away all the mishaps that had happened.  
  
He opened the door to his bedroom and saw you curled into a fetal position, clutching the blankets loosely. He quietly made his way to the closet and hoped you wouldn't wake up. Taking careful baby steps, he made sure not to step on any loose floorboards.  
  
He swiftly changed into his pajamas and exited the bathroom. He climbed into bed with you, snaking his arms around your waist. You shifted around to face him. "It's about time you got back," you drawled out sleepily. He buried his face into the crook of your neck and nuzzled you. "Why are you awake, anyway?" he said against your skin.  
  
"I heard something outside the room. It distinctly sounded like you cursing."  
  
Iwaizumi hummed and pulled you closer to him. You let out a small laugh. "You're being very affectionate, Hajime." He responded by tightening his hold on you. "It's been a long day. Why can't I cuddle my girlfriend?" he defended. You said nothing and melted into the embrace.  
  
There was just something about Iwaizumi being touchy-feely that made your heart race and your blood rush to your face. You were used to his touch - you'd been together since your first year in university, after all. But your boyfriend's faintly calloused hands gave you uncharacteristically gentle touches, and you felt your heart flutter every time he did so.  
  
He didn't have to play the role of the ace when he was around you. In your eyes, he was the ace in every single way.  
  
"Hajime," you whispered. You looked over your shoulder and Iwaizumi peeked at you with one eye. "Hmm?" You smiled and snuggled closer to him, drowning yourself in his warmth. "I love you." Probably too tired to reply with words, he pressed his lips to your forehead. You sighed like a little schoolgirl, reveling in the familiar feeling of his slightly chapped lips against your skin.  
  
"Good night, (first name)."


	25. (light fluff) concern [hinata shouyou]

Current concern: He can’t catch a ball one-handed.  
  


You were reviewing your notes for English. Your sensei scheduled an exam and you had completely forgotten about it. You promised yourself you would only read two chapters of that popular manga you had, but the story was getting so juicy you couldn’t resist. You ended up dozing off at your desk, manga book still open. Before you knew it, it was daylight, and you had to rush to school. 

  
Stupid shoujo manga, you thought to yourself. Stupid protagonist being too tsundere to admit his feelings.

  
You could barely get past the first page of your notes. It was break time, so noise wasn’t unusual, but you kept hearing thuds and the occasional “Kyaaa! I almost got it!” outside of your classroom. You hadn’t brought your headphones, which meant you couldn’t drown the sound out. You sighed. Maybe you could ask whoever was making noise to stop, and then maybe you could study your English notes, and then maybe all would be right in the world.  
  


You peeked your head out of your classroom doorway. You recognized the boy as that energetic small fry from Class 1-1. Hinata Shoyou. Why he was outside your classroom, Class 1-5, was beyond you. You internally debated with yourself on whether or not you should ask him to stop. He was very cute, and he always had this aura of innocence and wholesomeness about him. Would it be best to just suck it up and let him enjoy his life?  


Before you could come to a decision, someone had already managed to stop Hinata from continuing his weird routine of throwing a volleyball in the air with two hands and trying to catch it with his right. It was your classmate, Yachi.

“Oh? Hinata-kun, why are you here?” Yachi asked the boy. You figured if Yachi was talking to Hinata, he wouldn’t be able to continue playing around with the volleyball, so you wasted no time in going back to your seat and cramming all the information you could.

In what seemed like seconds (but had really been ten minutes), the bell rang, signaling students to get settled into their classes. You went into a small panic. You still had three pages of notes left to read, reread, and practice. Why you chose to read manga over your notes last night was beyond you.

Well this is it, you inwardly admitted. This exam will be the start of your downfall in English and it will eventually get so bad you won’t be able to show yourself in class anymore. Maybe you could go to the school clinic so you could take the test another time. Or maybe you could make your handwriting illegible on purpose so your teacher would have to ask you for clarifications, which could give you more time to think of your answers. Or maybe you could--

“(last name)?“

You blinked. All your ideas were stupid. The clinic one was viable, though.

“Yeah, Yacchan?”

Yachi looked at you with a worried expression. “Your notes…”

You looked down at your notebook only to be greeted by a mess of ink all over the notes you worked so hard on writing down. “Fuck,” you cursed under your breath, causing your classmate to flush at your language. You had been absentmindedly dragging your pen up and down the page while thinking about your plans to get around the English test.

“This is it,” you conceded. “Who needs English anyway?”

The blonde looked horrified. “(last name), don’t be like that! Here, you can borrow my notes for now.”

The gesture touched you. Yachi prided herself in her ability to take good notes, and here she was, offering them just so you could study. You feigned wiping a tear from your eye. “Yacchan, once I become a millionaire, I’ll buy you all the stationery you want.” She laughed. She rarely laughed because she was so shy, but she was starting to get more comfortable with the girls of the class.

Yachi’s notes helped substantially. You managed to remember enough of both of your notes to be sure that you had passed the exam. You even dared to guess that you scored at least 80% on it.

The bell rang, and your sensei dismissed you. You put your school things in your satchel, leaving out Yachi’s notebook so you wouldn’t forget to return it. You stood up and looked for her in the classroom, but couldn’t find her anywhere.

“Ne, Sato-kun, do you know where Yacchan is? I need to return her notebook.”

Your classmate tilted his head. “Yachi? I think she went to Gym 2.” You thanked him and bowed before making your way to the gym.

It was roughly a five-minute walk from Class 1-5 to Gym 2, so you busied yourself with your own thoughts to pass the time.

Maybe in the next chapter of your shoujo manga the protagonist would finally confess his undying love. You hummed. Probably not.

Why was Hinata’s hair so orange? It perplexed you. Is he some kind of main character in an anime or something? Was it natural? Your face scrunched up in confusion. Perhaps you could pull off the orange hair look.

You were close to the gym and you slowed your pace a little bit. Maybe you could get something from the vending machine. A yogurt drink sounded really good to you.

You stopped by the vending machine and retrieved a yogurt drink before continuing toward the gym. You could already hear the squeaks coming from the rubber of their shoes hitting the floor. It was an oddly satisfying sound.

You didn’t want to be rude, so you stayed at the doorway and tried to look for Yachi. You saw her nearby, thankfully, seated at a bench a couple of meters away from the entrance.

“Yacchan!” you whisper-screamed, trying to get her to hear you. She looked around confusedly until she saw you. “Ah, (last name)!” She scurried over to you, holding a clipboard up to her face as if it was a shield.

She pulled the net covering the doorway off to the side so she could talk to you properly. “Did you need anything?”

“No, actually, but I just wanted to give you your notebook back. You might need it. Thank you, by the way. You really saved my butt back in class.”

Yachi turned a deep red. She still wasn’t used to receiving compliments, even if it was about something as mundane as her notes. “I-it’s no problem at all, (last name)! Wait here, I’ll get my bag.”

Your blonde classmate rushed to the bench where her bag was. You didn’t bother staying behind the net covering because you didn’t think you would need the protection. It was only going to take a few seconds for Yachi to come back anyway. Then everything was suddenly in slow motion.

“(last name), look out!” Yachi called. You became aware of several things happening at once. At the net, two blockers were landing from their jump – upperclassmen, you thought to yourself, since you didn’t recognize them. In the back of the court, you saw a dark-haired boy you recall being from Class 1-4. He was sat on his haunches, and he looked like he was about to fall backward. His arms were connected by his clasped hands, in a receiving position. The last thing you noticed was a white, red, and green ball coming at your face, like a Christmas-themed homing missile.

You’ve had your own fair share of hits to the face (mostly via faceplanting after tripping). Maybe a volleyball hurtling toward you at 80 kilometers per hour would be bearable. You blink, ready to accept your fate, but when your eyes open again, the Christmas colors were replaced by a blur of orange and white.

Hinata, the boy from earlier, was in front of you. His right arm was outstretched, his palm stopping the momentum of the volleyball. He was so fast, it hadn’t even registered in your mind that he had saved you from getting an angry red mark on your face.

The orange-haired boy’s eyes were sparkling, and he let out a triumphant yell. “Woooooooh!” Two of his teammates, a scary-looking guy with a buzzcut and a smaller one with a blond streak, joined the celebration.

“I finally did it!”

“Good job Shoyou!”

“Hinata! You’re getting cooler every day!”

By the time Yachi had made her way back to you, the three were still whooping. You noticed the other members of the team barely even reacting, as if they were used to these antics. One member was trying to calm them down, which proved useless. You still had no idea what they were so hyped up about

“(last name), that was close! It’s a good thing Hinata caught it in time.” The boy in question turned his head toward the two of you.

“With one hand, Yachi-san!” Hinata exclaimed. “With…one hand?” Yachi tilted her head. Moments passed and her mouth slowly formed an ‘o’. “With one hand!” She blurted out. She joined Hinata and the other two members of the team in celebration.

Your eyebrows furrowed. You couldn’t understand what the big deal was.

“Oi, Yachi-san’s friend.” You turned to look at the boy with a blonde streak. He seemed to be an upperclassman. “You were just saved by our Shoyou here! Don’t you think what he did was cool?”

You weren’t eager to get on anyone’s bad side, and you genuinely thought it was cool that he had reacted so fast, so you agreed. “Hinata-kun, your reflexes are so fast! Thank you for stopping the ball.” You bowed to the boy.

“Not only did he stop the ball,” the member with a buzzcut said. “He caught it! With one hand!”

Yachi, sensing your confusion, explained the situation to you. “Hinata’s never been able to do that. This was his first time catching it successfully.” Your eyes lit up. “That’s awesome! Congratulations, Hinata-kun!”

Hinata suddenly went silent. And stopped moving. And seemingly stopped breathing. His senpais panicked, frantically asking him what was wrong.

You suddenly felt uncomfortable and you knew you had to leave for home. You were interrupting their training, and you had already done what you came to do. Yachi took the notebook from you and put it in her bag.

“I should be going now, but thank you again, Yacchan! Hinata-kun! Sorry for the interruption!” You bowed deeply and rushed out of the gym, making a beeline for the school gate.

You walked past the school grounds where the baseball and football teams were practicing. You couldn’t help but think of how funny Hinata looked in your last image of him. His orange hair looked even more vibrant against the flushed red of his face. It was awkward in an endearing sort of way. You hoped you would be able to see Hinata more often.

Meanwhile, at Gym 2, Hinata’s complexion was turning redder. Nishinoya was fanning him, trying to elicit some kind of reaction, until Tanaka made a comment about how Hinata became more energetic when Yachi’s friend came over. Yachi, completely oblivious to Hinata’s growing embarrassment, mentioned seeing Hinata outside the classroom, and seeing you peek out the door. Tanaka and Nishinoya then commenced teasing the poor first year, accusing him of hanging around Class 1-5 with a volleyball just to show off. Hinata practically had steam coming out of his ears. He didn’t think he was being obvious.


End file.
